Standing completely naked on stage in front of 1,000 women for the first time, James de Lauch Hay was so nervous he nearly had a panic attack.
But, nearly a year later, it's something that has now become second nature in his job as a professional 'Dreamboy'.
The 28-year-old Geordie believes an impressive 25,000 women have seen him bare all as he performs in venues across the UK with the famous 'Dreamboys'.
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The professional actor, dancer and singer from Tynemouth is relatively new to his role, securing the part just weeks before hitting the road in June last year for the national tour.
While some may be quick to judge those in the profession, it takes a lot more than just looking the part to make it as a Dreamboy, as James revealed.
"It has been wild, to say the least," he said.
"It's great fun and I'm really enjoying it.
"It's not just a stripping show, it's a dance show and an all-round show where there's entertainment for everyone, with comedy, solo acts and group acts.
"Everyone after the show always says how much they enjoyed seeing us have fun on the stage and messing about.
"The girls always come away with big smiles on their faces."
James' Dreamboy career started after spotting an advert for open auditions at a time when he was struggling to find performing work during the pandemic - and he hasn't looked back.
"Not everyone can do this sort of job," he said.
"You need to be able to do the choreography and the dancing.
"You can look like a Greek God but if you can't move and look like a stiff board on the stage, people are not going to pay to see that.
"This show is about being sexy and teasing...it's not always about being in shape. It's about how you move."
Performing up to four shows around the county every week in front of around 1,200 women at a time, it's fair to say work as a Dreamboy can be demanding.
But seeing the reactions of the women in the crowd gives James an adrenaline rush like nothing else he's experienced before as a performer.
"I've done performing all my life and I always get that adrenaline thrill from doing a show, but with this one, I can't compare it to anything else," he said.
"I get fully naked in the show and for me to do that from day one, I was like, 'this could be interesting!'
"The first time I was so nervous but then it has become like second nature now."
James, who is the only Geordie in the group, said the northern audience in Billingham was the wildest yet as he looked forward to his homecoming show in Newcastle this May.
"It should be great fun," he added.
"The girls in Newcastle are always wild so it should be a great night."
So what do his parents think as he gets ready to make his homecoming Dreamboys debut?
"When my dad's female colleagues found out I was a Dreamboy, they were asking him for merchandise," James said.
"I've actually made him really popular at work so he just laughs about it now!
"My mam is very proud and my dad is as well. He just says, 'do what makes you happy.'"
With a career in performing, it would be easy to assume that James had sky-high confidence before becoming a Dreamboy.
But he admitted that just wasn't the case after coming out of a relationship that left him feeling at an all-time low.
"I had come out of a really bad relationship a year and a half ago where I was always put down," he said.
"It made me feel really bad but, coming out of that relationship, I worked on myself so much, mentally and physically, and got myself into a really healthy state.
"When this job came about and I went along to the audition and got it, it gave me so much confidence.
"It has given me a lot of confidence in myself to love myself again."
James works out every day to keep fit for their performances but James stressed that Dreamboys are inclusive of all body shapes.
"The Dreamboys are all different boy types," he said.
"We have some guys who are huge and some guys who are toned and slim.
"Dreamboys embraces different body types and that is the great thing about it."
Performing in front of women on hen nights, birthday parties and girls' nights out can be challenging when it comes to dating.
But James, who dresses as a fireman, soldier and builder in some of his routines, said he actually found love at a Dreamboy show in Hull.
He met his girlfriend during the meet and greet after the gig and says the key to their relationship is trust.
"She likes that I am a Dreamboy," he said.
"She likes the fact that other girls may want me but I am only hers. She's very trusting with me."
He continued: "[Before meeting my girlfriend] It is very hard to date in this line of work.
"It can be swings and roundabouts; either some girls like it and some don't.
"What it comes down to is trust because when I'm on stage and doing this in a room full of thousands of women, of course your partner might wonder if they are going to talk to someone after the show and what's going to happen.
"But it comes down to trust because you can work a 9 to 5 office job and still cheat.
"It doesn't matter what your occupation is. That's the person, not the job."
When it comes to telling people what he does for work, James admits that people can assume he's arrogant.
But he was quick to address that stereotype and said that all of the Dreamboys were down-to-earth lads just doing their job.
"I am very proud of what I do and If someone that I am talking to can't get on board with it then that person is not for me," he said.
"I come from a working-class background and I've worked hard to be where I am."
He continued: "I think the main thing that people expect - and that is wrong - is that people think we are womanisers and arrogant and love ourselves, but actually we don't.
"We're just a bunch of guys that are performers, we enjoy what we do, and just have fun and have a laugh."
The Dreamboys will be performing at Newcastle's O2 City Hall on Sunday, May 29 at 6.30pm.
Tickets are available for the Dreamboys Tour via the website - https://www.dreamboys.co.uk/tour
