SPEAKING IN PUBLIC

I was invited to give a talk on "Public Speaking" this morning.  This is part of a Reading Camp to prepare student representatives from the district who would be taking part in the state level NILAM Reading Programme Competition.
Someone once mentioned that Public Speaking is the thing people fear most.  Even more than snakes and death.  Some of the reasons given are fear of being embarrassed, fear of failure while giving a speech in front of people, fear of being judged, fear of ones physical appearance not being appealing to others and fear of being compared with others.
Luckily for me, I do not have a phobia about speaking in public.  I do get a bit nervous before I start but after that I can go on and on, especially if I am giving a talk about one of my pet subjects.
What about you? Are you afraid of giving a speech in public?