A new survey* has revealed that Brits are the most scared of public speaking required during a job interview (32%). The top three most anxiety-emerging scenarios fall into a workplace environment and 21% of individuals admit to hating and avoiding public speaking completely. According to Google search data, 1,300 people search for “Public Speaking Courses” each month in the UK, it seems that while we have this fear – many are open to developing this skill and conquering their phobias. With this in mind, individuals were surveyed from across the UK to explore the fear behind public speaking and how individuals can take steps to combat their phobia with recommendations from public speaking expert Kirsty Hulse.
Key findings
- The most anxiety-inducing settings for public speaking are job interviews (32%), speeches (25%), and work presentations (22%)
- 1 in 5 (21%) hate public speaking and would avoid any occasion to do it
- 59% of individuals would avoid public speaking opportunities if there weren’t any repercussions such as job requirements or friends and family expectations
- 63% of Gen Z would avoid public speaking if they didn’t have to do it
- Forgetting words is the number one reason for British people being anxious about public speaking according to 36% of respondents
21% of Brits admit to hating and avoiding public speaking
Glossophobia, or the fear of public speaking, is the third most common phobia in the UK with 15% of individuals admitting to having this fear. While 21% admit to hating it and avoiding it on any occasion, there are many, despite their fear, pushing forward for opportunities. 14% find it scary but will push themselves to do it and 20% don’t like it but will do it if they have to.
Public speaking skills are integral in the workplace, impacting various aspects of a role, from daily communications to career progression. However, 59% of those surveyed said they would avoid public speaking if there were no repercussions.
Job interviews were picked as the scariest public speaking situation
The survey reveals the public speaking opportunities that cause the most anxiety are within a workplace scenario, with the top three all coming under this area. Job interviews topping the list at 32%, Presenting in public and work presentations follow closely, affecting 25% and 22% of individuals respectively, highlighting the pressure of delivering content effectively to an audience. Eight of the top ten most anxiety-inducing situations were in a workplace setting.
| Rank | Setting | Percentage |
| 1 | Job Interview | 32% |
| 2 | Presenting in Public | 25% |
| 3 | Work Presentation | 22% |
| 4 | Speeches | 22% |
| 5 | Performing in Front of Others | 21% |
| 6 | Talking to Authority Figures | 14% |
| 7 | Workplace Meetings | 14% |
| 8 | Participating in Group Discussions | 12% |
| 9 | Wedding Speeches | 12% |
| 10 | Dating | 8% |
The top most common public speaking anxieties
Even the most experienced speakers and presenters can become nervous while public speaking. For some people, however, the fear of public speaking can be intense and even crippling.The most common anxiety, experienced by 36% of individuals, is the fear of forgetting words during a speech. Closely following are fears of freezing up and appearing foolish, affecting 33% of respondents, respectively.
| Rank | Reason | Percentage |
| 1 | Forgetting words | 36% |
| 2 | Freezing up | 33% |
| 3 | Looking foolish | 33% |
| 4 | Fear of being judged | 32% |
| 5 | Losing train of thought | 28% |
| 6 | Saying “erm” too many times | 28% |
| 7 | Not meeting expectations | 22% |
| 8 | Audience boredom or disinterest | 22% |
| 9 | Physical symptoms being visible (sweating, shaking, etc.) | 22% |
| 10 | Stuttering | 21% |
Strategies to overcome fear of public speaking
If you’re anxious about speaking in front of others, know that you’re in good company; many face similar challenges. Yet, importantly, approximately 50% of individuals with public speaking anxiety take a proactive step by seeking professional help to overcome their fear.
We asked Sylvia Johnson, Head of Methodology at Preply how to prepare effectively for public speaking. She shares, “Public speaking involves two key stages – preparation and delivery. Each phase plays a significant role in the success of your presentation.
Preparation is the groundwork stage where you strategize on what you aim to communicate.
- Know who you’ll be talking to so you can match your content, language, and style to their knowledge level, interests, and expectations
- Gather all relevant facts, figures, anecdotes, and examples to support your points.
- Identify the purpose, main points, introduction, body, and conclusion for your speech, and then expand and organize your thoughts.
- Write the first draft of your speech. Then review it, editing and revising for clarity, structure, and flow.
- Regularly rehearse your speech. It helps you remember the flow of the presentation, and you can time yourself to ensure you’re within your allocated limit.
For delivery
- Be aware of your non-verbal cues. Good posture and purposeful gestures can create the right impression.
- Pay attention to the pace, volume, pitch, and tone of your voice to keep the audience engaged. Pausing for emphasis helps retain the audience’s attention.
- Engage with the audience throughout the speech. This can be done through eye contact, asking questions, or using audience input to shape your speech.
- Use visual aids to enhance your speech, making it easier for your audience to understand and recall your message.”
It’s worth noting that on average, individuals spend about 17.5 hours preparing a speech. This statistic highlights the dedication required to enhance public speaking skills and suggests that integrating recording and self-review into your preparation process can be a valuable part of that time commitment.
Seek support from friends, family, or public speaking groups, and don’t be afraid to ask for feedback to help you improve. With time, practice, and perseverance, you can overcome your fear of public speaking and become a more confident and effective communicator.
We asked award-winning Confidence Coach and motivational speaker, Kirsty Hulse, about why so many people struggle with public speaking anxiety and what they can do about it.
“I’ve trained about 50,000 people to be more confident and better presenters, and research like this is so important because one of the most common factors that get in the way of our ability to do public speaking, and makes us really scared of it, is feeling like we’re the only one. Many people that I work with are convinced that nobody else is scared of public speaking, they’re the only ones and it can feel like a very isolating experience. So, if you want to get more confident in public speaking, the first thing to do is to know that that’s not a unique or rational response to be scared of it. Understand that fear and nerves are just part of the process. Athletes and performers are scared before they get on stages or fields, so it’s important that we know that being scared of public speaking is just natural and normal and something that people do.
The second thing that is important to remember is we often feel scared and we can be confident at the same time. It’s not an either-or. Sometimes we do something called emotional reasoning, which is when we use our emotions to decide if something is for us, if it is going to be good, or if it’s going to be bad, and that prevents a lot of people from public speaking. Those of us who do public speaking, are the ones who know that fear is a part of the process and understand that at the same time, we can feel confidence. It’s not an either-or here. We are being capable of being scared and ready. That’s a mantra I like to use. So be scared and ready. So be terrified of it, and also understand that we can do things whilst we’re scared of it. So that’s a really important thing to remember.
The third thing I recommend people to do is to just take lots and lots of deep breaths, especially for extra nervousness. Taking lots of deep breaths won’t stop us from being scared of public speaking, but it might, if we’re lucky, slow down our heart rates and make our voices calmer while presenting.”
*Preply
