Like a comedian suffering from stage fright? (6,7)

I believe the answer is:

scared witless

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'suffering from stage fright?' is the definition.
The definition suggests a singular noun which matches the answer.

'like a comedian' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'like' could be 'care' (synonyms) and 'care' is located in the answer.
'comedian' could be 'wit' (a witty person) and 'wit' is located in the answer.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

Can you help me to learn more?

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.

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