Emma Watson admits she finds public speaking “terrifying” and had to be forced to make her major address on gender equality at the United Nations.

The actress, 26, gave an impassioned speech at the organisation’s New York headquarters in 2014 as she launched its HeForShe campaign.

But she admitted: “I really didn’t think I had it in me to do that speech at the UN two years ago.

“I was utterly terrified. Really, really bricking it. It was one of those moments when inspiring women have picked me up, scraped me up from the floor, and said, ‘I know you’re terrified, but you can do this.’”

Watson — a goodwill ambassador for UN Women — was speaking at the Harper’s Bazaar Women of the Year Awards at Claridge’s in Mayfair last night, where she received the inspiration award.

The actress, who rose to fame playing Hermione in the Harry Potter films, will appear as Belle in the forthcoming live-action remake of the Disney classic Beauty And The Beast next year.

However, she confessed she did not feel worthy of the role.

She said: “I was quite literally in the foetal position on the floor after I had done the audition, thinking, ‘Why did I think I could do this? I can’t do this, this is utterly terrifying’.”

Keira Knightley and her husband James Righton took a night off from looking after their one-year-old daughter Edie to attend, with the actress, 31, winning the theatre icon award for her performances in The Children’s Hour and Thérèse Raquin on Broadway.

She revealed she had suffered from the painful condition mastitis while breastfeeding, saying: “I did this really psychotic play when my daughter was four months old.

“As every parent will know, the whole year of her life has kind of disappeared into this memory hole of sleep deprivation, hormones, wee and shit and milk and mastitis, which is really awful.”

Olivia Colman, who won the outstanding performance award, stole the show at the after party with a dance-off with her husband Ed Sinclair.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley accepted the businesswoman award, Olympic cyclist Laura Trott was named woman of the year, Gillian Anderson collected the television icon gong and Felicity Jones received the British actress award.

Stella Tennant was given the contribution to British fashion award, Donatella Versace received the fashion icon award and Vanessa Redgrave was named British icon.

Source: standard.co.uk