Dizzee Rascal doesn’t think Glastonbury Festival bosses had the “confidence” to let him headline.
The ‘Bonkers’ hitmaker has played the Worthy Farm event several times over the years but never been put at the top of the bill, and he thinks 2010 was a missed opportunity when U2 had to drop out due to Bono suffering a back injury.
Appearing on the ‘JD In The Duffle Bag Podcast’, he recalled: “I should have headlined Glastonbury. I’ve done Glastonbury since I think 2008, might have been the first time I did it.
“I was one from the headline, and then someone dropped out, so they should have moved me up, but then they put on Gorillaz or someone.”
Dizzee was on the line-up after the likes of Willie Nelson, Vampire Weekend and Snoop Dogg, and just one spot below headliners U2 that year, but Damon Albarn’s band were drafted in instead.
Asked about the festival’s thinking behind the decision, he said: “It’s the confidence, they didn’t have the confidence.
“Even though they’d seen me smashing the s*** out of it, they were just scared.
“And then Gorillaz came on, and no offence to them, but you’re not getting the same thing. You can’t put them on after me – are you alright?”
Two years ago, Wiley – who has feuded with Dizzee in the past – admitted even he thought his rival had done enough to earn a top of the bill slot at Glastonbury.
After Stormzy’s headlining performance in 2019, Wiley said: “[Dizzee’s] done the most out of any black boy I’ve ever known in England.
“I’ve never seen anyone do more than what he’s done. For me, Dizzee is the greatest person I’ve ever known.
“I know that he hasn’t headlined Glastonbury but if someone asked me who it is I’ve personally witnessed doing the most, it would be Dizzee.”