Speech Debelle and James Corden in Take That Row # 2

Speech Debelle update - four days after I posted the video of her astonishing performance at Take That's Singstar launch on YouTube, it's attracted more than 11,000 hits.

After the incident she posted the following apology, slightly longwinded but it's in there somewhere.
She does say she's a major fan of Gary Barlow but that she was disappointed in James Corden after she'd been so supportive of him when he was nervous in Brixton.
But she then demands an apology from Corden, somewhat overshadowing her own remorse.



Debelle has since seen the actual clip and issued a second apology.
Let's hope people will be a bit more forgiving.
See for yourself here

EXCLUSIVE! John Lydon meets Gary Barlow for first time ever

A couple of weeks ago I interviewed John Lydon (former Sex Pistol Johnny Rotten) at a music studio in East Putney.
He strolled out with a can of Stella in his hand and happily sat down for nearly an hour to chat.
His manager Rambo brought more cans out and vital packs of Marlborough reds.
Lydon was one of the most charming musicians I have met so far.
He was happy to talk about anything, often straying way off point with some lyrical, tongue-twisting observations, often about his beloved Arsenal Football Club.
And then Gary Barlow walked up.
They had a quick chat, agreed to pose for a photo together and then Mr Take That was off.
Lydon told me afterwards he'd never met Barlow before, adding: “He’s a fine lad, nothing wrong with him. I saw him on the Jonathan Ross show. I get on well with Jonathan Ross, I think he’s all right, and if he likes him he must be kosher.”

So above is my exclusive pic of the first and so far only time John Lydon and Gary Barlow have ever met.

You can read my two interviews here:

Click here for John Lydon Interview - Part 1

Click here for John Lydon Interview - Part 2

Speech Debelle and James Corden in Take That row

A DAY after dumping her label, Mercury prize winner Speech Debelle made a spectacle of herself while attempting a karaoke version of Pray at Take That's Singstar Launch.
Debelle stumbled around onstage and fumbled through the song at Notting Hill's Tabernacle Club in front of a roomful of die-hard Take That fans - as well as the band themselves.
Her shabby performance saw her booed offstage, but not one to be kept down, Debelle got lippy.
As the boos got louder, she told host James Corden: "I did it better than Take That."
Corden told the crowd: "I wish I could defend her but that was shit", to which Debelle replied: "Hey listen baby I don't do this Take Shit stuff".
Corden's response was: "Maybe you should leave because we all do."
The crowd continued to boo until she left offstage.
Corden, who warned the rapper "don't you diss our four boys, not on my watch" then said anyone could rap and promptly launched into a rap of his own.

My first YouTube experiment - a fuzzy video taken on a mobile phone - attracted over 3,500 viewers in 24 hours.

Debelle caused waves where others had tried their best.
Singers like Paloma Faith, Taio Cruz and Amy Winehouse' niece Dionne Bromfield all took turns trying to sing Take That's hits while sticking to the right notes. Taio and Dionne did well. Paloma not so much but she took it in good spirits and tried her hardest.
Debelle was supposed to sing Pray but what ensued was a shambles.
The whole thing has caused a big row. Debelle has put her own explanation on YouTube and demanded an apology from Corden. After seeing the above video, shakily filmed on my mobile phone, she posted a second apology.
Rapper Lowkey says the whole incident shows how patronising people are about rappers.

I posted it on YouTube to see what people thought and I've been astounded at the reaction.
Today, 24 hours after first working out how to post the video, it was the 4th most viewed music related video on the site.

See what you think.