King of Confidence THE SECRET I'VE KEPT FOR 60 YEARS

Behind the trademark smile, Mike is battling a crippling fear

- Hayley McLarin

If you were at the same school play that featured Mike King's youngest daughter Charlie earlier this month, the former funnyman wants to apologise.

If you thought he was, at best, aloof, or worse, full of himself, the mental-health advocate wants to say sorry.

For the first time in his 60 the Kiwibank New Year, Zealander of the Year is publicly declaring he suffers from social anxiety and purposely kept to himself to avoid talking to the other primary-school parents.

While he can stoically argue with government ministers, champion mental wellness on live TV, and give presentations to literally thousands of school children - that armour disappears if he has to make small talk. He'd kept it so secret that Joanna, his wife of seven years, had no idea.

Mike recalls, "It was at Charlie's play, and I walked in super-anxious because I'm terrified that people are going to come up and start talking to me. I was buried in my phone and I wouldn't engage.

"Jo said to me afterward, 'What was with you tonight? Did you think you're better than all those other parents?' She said that was how it would have come across. I was just terrified because I've got social anxiety. I don't want to be judged."

Joanna thanked Mike for being so honest. She shares, "It was a pretty cool conversation. Now I can support him next time. I don't think those parents' first thought would be, 'Maybe he's anxious.' Probably it was, 'Does he think he's too big for his boots?' He was buried in his phone for about 25 minutes but he never stops working."

By sharing his own experience, Mike hopes to show youths who become nervous around others that they are not alone.