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'I DON'T FANCY AN IRANIAN PRISON'
Joss Stone dramatically booted out of Iran ‘because authorities were terrified she’d start singing’ in latest world tour drama
BRITISH soul singer Joss Stone said she has been deported from Iran as she continues her bid to sing in every country in the world.
The 32-year-old said she did not plan to perform and was just visiting, but that authorities did not believe she would not "be playing a public show" in the country where female solo singers are banned.
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It is unclear what exactly Stone was planning to do in Iran, although in her Instagram post she spoke of her desire to show "the positives of our globe".
Grammy winner Joss is aiming to sing in every country on the planet as part of her Total World Tour.
In March she performed barefoot in a bizarre gig to 70 people at a small hall in Derik, in the north-eastern corner of war-torn Syria, later saying she was "just so glad nothing bad happened".
But posting a video on Instagram about yesterday's visit to neighbouring Iran, she said: "We got detained and then we got deported."
And she wrote: "We were aware there couldn't be a public concert as I am a woman, and that is illegal in this country.
"Personally, I don't fancy going to an Iranian prison, nor am I trying to change the politics of the countries I visit, nor do I wish to put other people in danger.
"However, it seems the authorities don't believe we wouldn't be playing a public show so they have popped us on what they call the 'blacklist', as we found out when we turned up to the immigration hall.
We got detained and then we got deported
Singer Joss Stone
The star, who rose to fame as a teenager and is a friend of Prince Harry, said: "After long discussions with the most friendly, charming and welcoming immigration people, the decision was made to detain us for the night and to deport us in the morning.
"Of course I was gutted. So close yet so far; this moment broke a little piece of my heart."
She told fans: "We were the ones that should have been apologising for not having our correct paperwork."
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Stone posted images of herself boarding a flight to Iran's Kish Island in the Persian Gulf, which is an economic free zone that allows travel by all nationalities but can also be a dangerous place for Westerners.
Iranian newspapers reported Stone's Instagram comments on Thursday, though there was no immediate government comment on her claims
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Joss Stone says it's 'bloody cold' as she arrives in war-torn Syria before performing bizarre gig to 70 fans
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