I have fear, anxiety and imposter syndrome

Despite 25 years in broadcasting, former F1 anchor and football TV host Jake Humphrey opens up about his fear that his success could all end tomorrow

- By Hannah Britt

PRESENTING Formula One might sound an odd choice of job for a self-confessed “catastrophiser” but anxiety follows Jake Humphrey wherever he goes.

Imposter syndrome - self-doubt also plagues the former BBC F1 anchor, who now presents the successful High Performance podcast with Professor Damian Hughes.

He says: "I had major anxiety when I first started on CBBC 25 years ago. Men particularly don't talk often enough about anxiety.

"I still suffer from anxiety. I'm a catastrophiser, every single day. The worst outcome, worst-case scenario is the way that my brain thinks.

"I still have fear, anxiety, imposter syndrome still think it could all end tomorrow. But now, my two anxieties really revolve around health and kids."

Jake, 47, lives in Norfolk with his wife, Harriet a former production manager who now dedicates her time to the family and helps out with the High Performance Foundation and their children, Florence, 13, and Seb, 10. The family moved to the countryside after Jake left BBC One in 2012 and joined BT Sport to cover football.

Explaining his anxiety, he says: "I was always volunteering to go to the doctor when I was 16 to get stuff checked out.

"It's a permanent fear. Now my fear is over the children's health. My son has a headache, my daughter comes home with a cough, worst-case scenario. This outbreak of meningitis. Do you seal your kids off? Do you get them vaccinated? Do you live on an island?"

His anxiety was so bad that he nearly quit his F1 job on day one: "I went to China and Steve Rider was the host for ITV. I saw him standing in the pit lane with one floor manager holding a monitor and one pundit live on ITV.