Estelle: 'Jeremy Paxman Was Disrespectful To Dizzee Rascal'

BBC broadcaster Jeremy Paxman was “disrespectful” to question British grime star Dizzee Rascal's loyalty to Britain, singer Estelle has said.

Paxman asked Rascal, who was born in London, if he felt British during an interview on a recent edition of Newsnight, to which he replied: “Of course I'm British... it don't matter what colour you are."

In an interview with the New Statesmen, Estelle said Paxman's questioning was “out of line”.

She said: “Paxman's not going to get away with asking me do I think I'm British. That's disrespectful - you know, what do you think I am?"

"I'd want to question him - and make him feel like an idiot."

Rascal appeared on the show in the wake of Barack Obama's triumph in the US elections last month.

Rascal told Paxman that the overwhelming support for Mr Obama showed colour no longer matters in politics.

But, in a wide ranging interview with the New Statesmen, Estelle accused Rascal of not taking his appearance on the programme seriously enough.

"I don't ever want to diss another artist that I know is in the same struggle and grind as me, but it was the look on Jeremy Paxman's face,” she said.

“I was like, 'He [Paxman] is taking you for an idiot right now! Did no-one brief you?'

"I felt so disappointed because Dizzee has come so far as an artist and a businessman that to go on there and represent us, represent all the musicians in the UK, it was like Oh. My. God."

In a statement, the BBC said: "Jeremy Paxman's question to Dizzee Rascal about whether he felt himself to be British was a direct response to the preceding comments from Baroness Amos who was saying that in the UK, as opposed to the US, we don't talk about the nature of Britishness and what it means to be British.

“The topics being discussed were race, nationality and identity and this question was a natural part of that discussion."

Meanwhile, Estelle also said that she was “full of joy” following president-elect Obama's triumph last month.

(by Jason Gregory)

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