Don’t Call Me! Blondie star Debbie Harry is victim of literature festival’s ‘worst interview’ ever as fans walk out blaming the blundering host
- Blondie singer, 74, was interviewed at the Cheltenham Literature Festival
- The star was appearing at the event to promote her new biography ‘Face It’
- Fans have hit out at interviewer Rob Roth for ‘unstructured, uninformative’ talk
Blondie fans who paid to see a talk with Debbie Harry have hit out at her ‘unstructured, uninformative and not very entertaining’ interviewer.
The star appeared at the Cheltenham Literature Festival yesterday to promote her new biography ‘Face It’.
But audience members have hit out at the host Rob Roth, accusing him of ‘terrible, disjointed questioning’ and being the ‘worst interviewer ever’.
Fans have now taken to social media to share their scathing reviews, prompting sarcastic responses from Roth including, ‘thanks for coming on the tour bus.’
Debbie Harry (centre) and Chris Stein (left) were interviewed by Rob Roth (right)
Fans took to social media to share their scathing reviews of the interview
The singer was at the event to talk about her memoir charting her rise to fame with Blondie and their hits including Call Me, One Way or Another and Heart of Glass.
She appeared alongside Blondie co-founder and former partner Chris Stein, in conversation with artist and director Rob Roth, who lead the interview on Sunday evening.
Guests claim Roth’s dry questions garnered little enthusiasm from his interviewees and he appeared to flounder in an hour-long interview.
Several people left the tent before the event had finished and one staff member said they’d ‘never seen that amount of people walk out of a literature event so early’.
One ticketholder on Twitter called it ‘unstructured, uninformative and not very entertaining’, adding: ‘Very disappointing, embarrassing lack of preparation and poor delivery.
‘People left after few minutes, wish we had. Having seen many great lit fest events, a shame this was so poor.’
One audience member said: ‘Odd moves on Roth’s part included asking questions such as, ‘From the Switzerland tour…was there anything that happened that you maybe don’t remember, or anything that you’re only remembering now?’, prompting a blank look from his interviewees.’
Roth has also been accused of speaking more than his interviewees and dropping in ‘groan-inducing’ jokes.
Fans have now taken to social media to share their scathing reviews, prompting sarcastic responses from Roth including, ‘thanks for coming on the tour bus.’
Debbie Harry, 74, and Chris Stein, 69, of Blondie appeared at the event to promote her memoir ‘Face It’
Audience members have hit out at the host Rob Roth (not pictured), accusing him of ‘terrible, disjointed questioning’ and being the ‘worst interviewer ever’
Roth also told audience members: ‘We don’t want to hear your life story – think about a really good question and make it count!’
Another tweeted: ‘Debbie Harry interview was appalling. The interviewer was possibly the worst I’ve ever seen. So many people left.’
Roth’s style of interviewing seemed to reign as the main criticism, with one festival-goer tweeting: ‘Amazing to see Debbie Harry but boy, was it poorly done. Terrible, disjointed questioning. Such a shame.’
Steve Kemsley said: ‘Fantastic festival but what the hell was that Debbie Harry debacle? Walked out with loads of others! Worst ever. Disgrace!!!
Following the talk Harry and Stein signed books and took pictures with fans.
The Festival organisers have been approached for a comment.