Robert Pattinson is terrified of circuses because he once saw a clown die.

The 'Twilight' hunk was left traumatised after a stunt went wrong during his first ever visit to the big top with his parents when he was a young boy.

The 24-year-old star told US TV show 'The Today Show': "The first time I went to the circus somebody died. One of the clowns died. His little car exploded. The joke car exploded on him. Seriously.

"Everybody ran out. It was terrifying. It's the only time I've ever been to the circus."

Robert is not the only star who shuns the circus - P. Diddy and Johnny Depp both suffer from Coulrophobia, a fear of clowns. Diddy has a 'no clowns' clause written into his contracts, and was once deemed unsuitable to appear on US TV show 'Fear Factor' by a therapist because of his irrational phobia.

Speaking of his own fear, Johnny has said:

"There's something about the painted face, the fake smile. There always seemed to be a darkness lurking just under the surface, a potential For Real evil. Something must have happened when I was a kid."

Other celebrities with strange phobias include Billy Bob Thornton, who has a fear of antique furniture and Nicole Kidman, who has previously admitted to an irrational fear of butterflies.