BEN AFFLECK TERRIFIED OF FLYING

Ben Affleck has been terrified of flying ever since his airplane caught fire in mid-air when he was nine.

The Gigli star flew alone from Boston, Massachusetts to Washington, D.C. for an acting job, but he was left fearing for his life when the plane was struck by lightning.

He recalls, "The pilot came on and said, 'One of the engines is on fire.' So I got really scared and really nervous."

To make matters worse, the young star had just watched a frightening TV programme about child molesters that "scared the lights out of me the night before".

And he can't shake the memory of crying in his seat as pilots made an emergency landing - while a creepy man sitting next to him offered him a place to stay during the layover.

He says, "I'm sitting in the thing; the plane is on fire. Tears are coming to my eyes and there's a guy sitting next to me and he goes, 'You know, if we land, they'll put us in a hotel. Don't worry - you can stay with me.'"