Shonda Rhimes was 'shaking the entire time' while pitching Grey's Anatomy

Shonda Rhimes has admitted she was "shaking the entire time" while pitching Grey's Anatomy.

The TV producer and screenwriter - who has since become one of the most successful showrunners in Hollywood - has opened up about the nerves she experienced when presenting the idea for the hit medical drama.

Speaking to Harper's Bazaar, Shonda explained that she was in her early thirties at the time and pitched the concept herself.

"I could not look anybody in the eye back then," she confessed. "I would pitch by staring at a piece of paper, shaking the entire time, and if someone interrupted me, I'd have to start over."

Grey's Anatomy, starring the likes of Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh and Patrick Dempsey, quickly became a major success after its 2005 premiere and went on to become one of television's top-rated dramas.

Elsewhere in the interview, Shonda opened up about her decision to step away from network television. In 2017, she signed an estimated $100 million (£74.5 million) exclusive deal with Netflix.

"I made the move because I realised that we had become pros at making network television - where is the challenge?" she told the publication.

Shonda went on to acknowledge that being free from the time constraints of network television - including fixed episode lengths - and being able to release entire seasons at once has changed how her shows are made.

"It feels more welcoming to creativity," she stated. "You get a chance and the space to sit and think, 'What stories do I want to tell? Is this the best thing for the character?'"

Through her production company Shondaland, the TV producer has released a number of projects with Netflix, including the smash hit romance series Bridgerton and its spin-off Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.