Dizzee Rascal

Dizzee Rascal

Estelle is not happy with BBC journalist Jeremy Paxman after he treat her fellow musician like an “idiot” during a recent TV debate.

Okay so the rapper - real name Dylan Mills - isn’t the first person you think of when you’re told Newsnight has a celebrity guest, but he made an appearance on the current affairs show last month during a discussion about race and nationality.

At one point in the show, notoriously hard interviewer Paxmon, asked the London-born rapper if he felt he was "British" and if he was interested in a career in politics.

Mills responded to the question, saying: "Course I'm British, man - you know me. It doesn't matter what colour you are. It matters what colour your heart is man, and your intentions. I think a black man, purple man, martian man could run the country as long as he does right by the people".

But the incident infuriated American Boy singer Estelle, who is adamant Paxman was patronising the rapper. She tells New Statesman magazine, "I was like, 'He is taking you for an idiot right now! Did no-one brief you?' Paxman's not going to get away with asking me, 'Do I think I'm British?'"

But the BBC has defended Paxman's line of questioning: "The topics being discussed were race, nationality and identity, and this question was a natural part of that discussion".

So with 2009’s Newsnight feature Estelle? I sure hope so!