Natalie Imbruglia claims fame nearly sent her ''insane''.

The 'Torn' hitmaker has admitted she spent the height of her success feeling ''anxious, nervous, stressed out and scared'', not helped by her Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

She shared: ''I was anxious, nervous, stressed out and scared. I didn't want to go outside in case people recognised me. It nearly sent me insane. I felt I had to live up to 'Torn'. I didn't write it, but I was a part of the reason it was so successful. I felt so much pressure to live up to those expectations, then I was expected to top it. That was really hard for me.

''I have OCD, which can be a problem because I'm not good with change. My motto is 'No Surprises'. It's an OCD from my mother. It is hard.''

And the 40-year-old beauty has admitted her fear meant she couldn't enjoy the great things her career provided her with like travelling all over the world.

She added to the Daily Mirror newspaper: ''I was so busy being scared I never took time to see places and enjoy it. I was scared of losing my voice or being recognised. I always took myself too seriously and could never really relax.

''It's a perfectionist trait. I look back and think I should have just had more fun. I was too busy worrying about everything being perfect around me.''