Interviewer recalls 'unpleasant' Eminem and Dr. Dre conversation that left her feeling 'so stupid'
Britt Jones
Featured Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Getting up close and personal with your favorite musical artist might be a dream come true, but it was a nightmare for one interviewer.
BBC journalist Jo Whiley opened up about the time she interviewed rap royalty Eminem and Dr. Dre as she lifted the lid on the 'unpleasant' experience with Zoe Ball on her Dig It podcast.
The 60-year-old has met a lot of famous faces throughout her career, including the likes of Oasis star Noel Gallagher and music legend David Bowie, but she admitted that her experience with Slim Shady and Dre was 'horrible'.
During the August 4 episode of the podcast, a listener called in to ask which interviews they had conducted that left them feeling ‘starstruck’.
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Even though Whiley has interviewed several renowned singers, when she met Eminem and Dr. Dre, it was anything but a ‘starstruck’ moment.
The broadcaster confessed that the men made her ‘feel so tiny and so stupid’ during their time together.
“I remember interviewing Eminem and Dr. Dre once, and that was horrible,” she told Ball. “I’d interviewed Eminem when he was very young and he was very shy and polite.”
She added: “He kept calling me ‘ma’am’ all the time, and he was really, really sweet and humble.”
However, something happened between then and the next time she was in a room with him.
Whiley said: “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.”
While she wasn’t left with a good feeling after the interview, she said that her interviews with Mary Berry, Monty Don and Will Ferrell did give her that star-struck feeling.
She went on to call Margot Robbie 'adorable', and her interview with Ryan Gosling was a highlight for her as she was 'obsessed with The Notebook.'
As of right now, Eminem is releasing his new documentary film tomorrow (August 7), which will see him meet his ‘Stans’.
According to Eminem’s official website, the doc ‘delves deep into the emotional and transformative connection between Eminem and some of the superfans whose lives have been shaped by his music’.
It states: “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.”