Jennifer Hudson is a "fan" of her collaborators.

The singer-and-actress still gets star-struck by celebrities she has performed with, including Alicia Keys, Ne-Yo and 'Dreamgirls' co-star Beyonce Knowles but tries not to let their famous status get in the way of her work.

She said: "I'm just like the person who lives next door or the girl you went to school with.

"Yes, OK, I work with famous people. I'm a fan of the people I work with but I've got a job to do, so excuse me!"

Jennifer, 29, also admitted working with more established artists has inspired her to do even better in her own career and she thinks studying them has helped her learn what she needs to do in order to be even more successful.

She added in an interview with Attitude magazine: "It's like I've sat back and watched these people but now it's my turn.

"I need to do what I need to do so I can be huge, ride up there with those guys. You know what I'm saying."

Despite her successes, Jennifer admits she used to be nervous before singing in front of people.

She explained: "When I was younger I couldn't sing with my eyes open. So to get out of the habit of doing this, I created a game with those people who intimidated me that when I was singing, I would stare them down until I intimidated them."