Getting up close with a beloved musical artist might seem like a dream, but for one interviewer, it turned out to be quite the opposite.
BBC journalist Jo Whiley shared her experience during an interview with rap legends Eminem and Dr. Dre, describing it as ‘unpleasant’ on Zoe Ball’s Dig It podcast.
Whiley, 60, has encountered numerous celebrities, from Oasis member Noel Gallagher to the iconic David Bowie. Yet, her interaction with Slim Shady and Dre was anything but pleasant.
In the podcast episode released on August 4, a listener inquired about interviews that left them feeling ‘starstruck’.
Despite having interviewed several famous musicians, her meeting with Eminem and Dr. Dre did not leave her feeling ‘starstruck’.
The broadcaster revealed that their behavior made her ‘feel so tiny and so stupid’ during the interview.
“I remember interviewing Eminem and Dr. Dre once, and that was horrible,” she mentioned to Ball. “I’d interviewed Eminem when he was very young and he was very shy and polite.”
She continued: “He kept calling me ‘ma’am’ all the time, and he was really, really sweet and humble.”
However, something changed by the time they next met.
Whiley explained: “Then a couple of years later he came back on the show but with Dr. Dre and the fame had happened and he was just this other creature altogether.
“They were so playful with me. They made me feel so tiny and so stupid, and it was a really unpleasant experience. I did not enjoy that.”
Despite the negative experience, she noted that her interviews with Mary Berry, Monty Don, and Will Ferrell did leave her feeling star-struck.
She also described Margot Robbie as ‘adorable’, and highlighted her interview with Ryan Gosling as a memorable one due to her ‘obsession with The Notebook.’
Currently, Eminem is set to release a new documentary film tomorrow (August 7), which will feature his interactions with his ‘Stans’.
According to Eminem’s official website, the documentary ‘delves deep into the emotional and transformative connection between Eminem and some of the superfans whose lives have been shaped by his music’.
It mentions: “The film examines the complicated relationship between one of the world’s most private artists and his massive public persona. Through stylized recreations, rare archival footage, and intimate original interviews, it offers a raw, loud, and revealing journey across Eminem’s career — and the passionate audience that has grown with him.”