Lilly Singh reveals what made her anxious about joining The Muppets Mayhem

For former late-night host Lilly Singh, joining the Muppets universe was a match that came with a lot of pressure. "There's a sense of nostalgia for a lot of people," she says.

In the new Disney+ series The Muppets Mayhem Singh plays Nora, a low-level staffer at a music label who tries to get Muppets supergroup Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem to record their first-ever platinum album. "She's a little late to the game because she spent most of her upbringing taking care of her young sister, but now she thinks it's time for her to chase her dreams," she explains. "Problem is she doesn't know what she's doing or have major connections, so she has to fake it until she makes it."

Nora is also big sister to Hannah (Saara Chaudry), something that gave Singh a new perspective on her relationship with her own sibling. Growing up, the actress says her older sister took care of her, so the dynamic on the show is a role reversal for her. "It's been really interesting, but when the show comes out I'm sure she's going to message me, roasting me left, right, and center," she jokes.

Ahead of the series premiere on May 10, Singh shared her fears and anxieties for EW's High Anxiety column.

What people think of her

Coming into an industry where you have access to people's opinions of you makes giving too much weight to what people think a source of anxiety for Singh. "What I found challenging is that I was raised in a culture — and this is not specific to South Asian cultures — where I was taught to really care what other people think," she explains. Having built a massive following on YouTube and over 13 million Instagram followers, I have been actively trying to unlearn caring what people think, but I'm in an industry where that's how we survive."

Being human

Singh admits to being scared to join The Muppets Mayhem because "fans want to see the Muppets and not necessarily a bunch of humans doing things on screen," but hopes the diehard Muppet fans are pleased with the four human characters.

Imposter syndrome

Although the star has spent a lot of time in front of the camera, she was still anxious when the camera started rolling. Compared to her The Muppets Mayhem costars, Singh worried about being the least experienced actor on the series. "I had a little bit of imposter syndrome and thought 'Can I keep up with everyone?' It's the sweetest and most supportive crew and that anxiety went away quickly, but that was definitely a thing," she shares. Actively reminding herself that she earned her lead role was key in helping her to move past that particular concern.

Being the first

After making history with A Little Late With Lilly Singh, the pressure has had a lasting impact that she is still working through. "My therapist has concluded that I have some very real trauma from the late-night show and I don't use that word lightly," she shares. There was an immense amount of pressure for the show to succeed and being an LGBTQ woman of color meant that a lot of different groups were excited to finally be represented. "It was set up for failure because there's no way that me being one person could satisfy everyone's expectations. Someone literally came up to me and said '2 billion Indians are counting on you,'" she recalls.

The late-night show had very little resources compared to similar shows, which made the high bar even harder to reach. After telling a coworker that the monologue she had to deliver was not funny, Singh was met with a retort that late night was "just about getting it done." She explains the incident "killed me inside because it's against what I believe as an artist and a creative."

Spiders

The eight-legged creatures are an immediate no for Singh. "If there's a spider in my house, I will have to move," she quips. The number one rule for any writers' room she's in is not to play pranks on her with spiders or bugs in general.

Coming out

The morning after coming out, Singh remembers her sexuality trending on Twitter. "I remember throwing up in my mouth because it felt so invasive," she says. The anxiety of living in her truth came from a belief that it would hurt her career. "At the time, perhaps driven by fear, a few people in my life who don't believe this anymore convinced me that it would impact my career and business especially because I have a lot of Indian fans and a big following in India," she shares. Thankfully, it turned out not to be the case, which was a pleasant surprise for Singh.

The Muppets Mayhem premieres May 10 on Disney+.

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