A pianist who suffers with crippling stage fright has tackled her fears head-on to take to the catwalk as a beauty queen - and reach the Miss England final.<br /><br />Musician and composer Abby Knight, 20, once passed out on stage and left a piano recital mid-way through due to the nerves of performing in front of an audience.<br /><br />She even had to go to the doctors to get medication and underwent specialist therapy in a bid to overcome her performance anxiety.<br /><br />But Abby has now conquered her biggest fears after reaching the Miss England final by coming second in the Fab UK Top Model competition in London. <br /><br />The music student admits she was 'terrified' walking the catwalk in front of judges but wanted to push her own boundaries as a challenge to herself. <br /><br />Abby, of Falmouth, Cornwall, said: "I didn’t realise I would be walking out in front of so many people for Miss England - but I wanted to challenge my anxieties. <br /><br />"I wanted to push myself and prove I can do it. I didn't want to run away from it, I wanted to do something that scares me.<br /><br />"It was daunting, but it was fun. I’m definitely feeling nervous for the final."<br /><br />Abby's debilitating stage fright began at primary school after she was sick during a Christmas play performance and it has plagued her ever since. <br /><br />But she says she was determined not to let the condition beat her and went on to became a pianist, composer, part-time model - and now a beauty queen. <br /><br />She takes prescribed propranolol to calm her nerves on stage but says the thought of performing still terrifies her. <br /><br />Abby, who studies at Falmouth University, added: “My stage fright started in primary school. <br /><br />"I was doing a Christmas play when I was sick, I completely passed out and it just snowballed from there. <br /><br />“Then in secondary school I was doing a performance in front of 1,000 students, and I just walked off. It happened again in college.<br /><br />"It happened almost every time I performed. I think it stemmed from my experience in primary school. I have a phobia of being sick. <br /><br />“At 17 I was put on propranolol after a performance in Exeter. I had therapy where I learned breathing techniques.<br /><br />"I've been performing all of my life - but I do still struggle with stage fright a lot."<br /><br />Abby, who started modelling at 18 after being scouted on TikTok, decided to enter Miss England in a bid to boost her modelling career.<br /><br />She is also working on her own piano album and is looking to compose music for National Geographic photographer Mattius Klum for her next project.<br /><br />Abby added: "I’ve never done any pageant stuff before, I've only ever done modelling. I’ve modelled for Missguided and a few other brands.<br /><br />“I didn’t imagine I'd ever be doing it and I am terrified about doing so. <br /><br />"But I’ve been trying to reach out and do some cooler stuff. I went for a meeting in London with this guy who works for National Geographic.<br /><br />"We’re going to do some collaborations, we’re going to partner for some music for a documentary.
