BBC Breakfast’s Nina Warhurst revealed her unique phobia on Thursday’s show. As she and co-host Charlie Stayt were discussing the day’s headlines, they came across an article about unusual fears.
The piece mentioned a Swedish politician, Paulina Brandberg, who has a fear of bananas. The article also discussed other irrational fears such as buttons, balloons, and tomatoes.
Nina then confessed to her own phobia, Trypophobia, which is a fear of small clusters, holes or bumps. She gave examples like the inside of a beehive that make her shudder.
Charlie seemed puzzled, asking if it was related to surfaces. When he asked if the holes in their sofa would trigger her fear, she assured him they wouldn’t as the bumps weren’t visible.
However, she did admit there might be something in the studio that could make her uncomfortable, reports the Express.
Charlie was left gobsmacked after learning that some people have a phobia of buttons, something he’d never come across before. Nina responded with a personal touch, saying: “Yeah, my sister has a button phobia! She doesn’t know why, it just makes her feel icky if she sees buttons.”
Charlie, puzzled, questioned how she copes since buttons are so commonplace.
Nina explained: “She avoids clothes with buttons on.”
Probing further, Charlie enquired: “What about other people’s buttons?”
Nina couldn’t help but chuckle at her colleague’s inquisitiveness and told him: “Not happy but has had to learn to live alongside it!”
Still perplexed by the revelation, Charlie remarked: “Wow, that’s tricky.”
Get the latest celebrity gossip and telly news sent straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily Showbiz newsletter here.