Zayn Malik cancelled his show in London on Saturday night, later revealing to his fans exactly why via social media.
The pop star tweeted an apology, admitting that he’s been suffering from crippling anxiety which has gotten the better of him.
He stated in his apology:
Unfortunately my anxiety that has haunted me throughout the last few months around live performances has gotten the better of me.
According to Mashable, he was meant be performing at the Summertime Ball at Wembley Stadium alongside Ariana Grande, Little Mix and Mike Posner. It was going to be his first solo show in the UK since releasing his debut album Mind of Mine.
The fact someone who is such an influential figure for many young people has come out and admitted they suffer from anxiety is an important moment. Hopefully Zayn’s revelation will help remove the stigma around mental health and inspire other young people who live with the illness to get help.
According to Anxiety UK, as many as one in six young people experience some kind of anxiety condition during their lives – that’s the equivalent of up to five people in your class, to put it into perspective.
Anxiety can affect anyone and manifests itself in many forms, including OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), social anxiety and shyness, exam stress and worry or panic attacks.
While some of his fans were initially angry about the cancellation, taking to Twitter to vent their fury, many people sent messages of support after finding out the reason why.
It takes a lot to admit something like this publicly. Zayn discussing his anxiety will help bring awareness to what can be a living nightmare for sufferers and, more importantly, it will hopefully make young people going through the same thing as him feel a little bit better about themselves.
If you find yourself suffering from anxiety you can find advice on Mind’s website here, or you can call Anxiety UK on 08444 775 774 to talk to someone in complete confidence between 9.30 and 5.30, Monday to Friday.
