Eminem and Dr Dre have been accused of leaving radio DJ Jo Whiley feeling “tiny and stupid”.
The BBC Radio 2 presenter, 60, made the allegation while speaking on her Dig It podcast in which she recalled being left devastated while interviewing the two rap superstars.
She said: “I remember interviewing Eminem and Dr Dre one time and that was horrible. I’d interviewed Eminem when he was very young and he was very shy and polite.
“He kept calling me “ma’am” all the time and he was really, really sweet and humble. 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 just so playful with me – and can I just say they made me feel so tiny and so stupid.’
Jo shared the story when asked if she had ever been starstruck during an interview.
She spoke alongside her co-host Zoe Bell, 46, revealing the interview had been a “really unpleasant experience”.
Jo’s reflection on the interview follows her candid discussion about her struggles with anxiety at the height of her DJing career in the 1990s.
Speaking to Woman’s Health, Jo explained: “I remember doing one gig and I was just so scared, I thought I can’t go on like this. This is ridiculous. It’s ruining my life because I’m just such a ball of anxiety.
“But then I realised how happy it was making people when I do these gigs and that was a game changer.”
She also addressed the culture surrounding ‘lad mags” – lifestyle magazines from the 1990s and early 2000s targeted at men, often featuring women in underwear.
Jo said: “There was so much objectification and judgement of women and their bodies. It was a ludicrous time to be a woman, but I just kept my head down and weathered the storm.”
Jo has been equally open about battling anxiety during the menopause, referencing her fellow presenter Davina McCall’s campaign to encourage conversations around the subject.
She said: “I really lost myself at the time. I cried all the time. I mean, I cry a lot anyway but I cried all the time. I just felt very weak, and going to the gym and getting myself strong has played a really, really big part in helping me be the person I am today. It really saved me.”
