Glastonbury’s Emily Eavis has revealed she got death threats after booking Kanye West as headliner for the music event.

An online petition attracted more than 133,000 signatures, calling for the rapper to be taken off the bill.

“It was not a pleasant world we unwrapped,” Emily, who organises the line-up with her father, Glastonbury founder Michael, told The Times.

She revealed: “I had death threats and stuff. It was just horrible. It was just crazy.”

Kanye West
Kanye West (Yui Mok/PA)

She added: “It was getting out of control. We had Time magazine, all the American news channels saying they were going to come down. This incredible onslaught worldwide.

“It was quite upsetting because we were talking about something that was so exciting and interesting and fresh and brilliant for the festival.

“Kanye West is making the most exciting music at the moment. He is an amazing force as a performer. For us getting the biggest star in the world was an amazing coup.”

Kanye follows in the footsteps of fellow hip-hop superstar Jay Z, whose Saturday night slot in 2008 caused huge controversy before it was deemed a big success.