I’m too famous for Nobel Peace Prize

THIRD World crusader Bono has insisted he will never win the Nobel Peace Prize – because he’s too famous.

The U2 frontman is believed to have been nominated three times for the award for his campaigning on Africa.

But he claimed: “I think you only know of being nominated if you get it. But I will never get that. I think in general they give it to people whose names are not known. Or if they give it to somebody who’s very well-known, it’s because they’re making a particular point that year. I think they’ve made the Africa point a couple of times, the inequality point.”

But Dubliner Bono, 48, argued even being nominated had helped open doors for him.

He said: “The recognition really helps me when I’m getting meetings with people who don’t want to give me meetings.”

The rocker also admitted he was proud to have been given a special award last month by the Nobel Peace laureates.

However, he told Q magazine: “I think some of the things we’ve talked about make it impossible for me to win the Nobel. I’m too inconsistent. I can’t make the case that I’ve given up my life to serve the world’s poor.”

Asked if he was surprised to receive an honorary knighthood in 2007, Bono confessed: “I’ve had the most easy ride for an Irish person dealing with the British government.

“Like Tony Blair said, ‘Do you want to come round one evening and just talk?’ “So I went round and we were just sitting there, the two of us, talking about everything – religion, music. And, of course, I’m drinking. He doesn’t drink very much.

“So I may not have noticed exactly but time did move on and after a few hours, he’s like, ‘OK, it’s midnight, I’ve got to make a phone call, would you let yourself out?’ “This is up the top floor of their apartment. So I’m like wandering on my own through Number 10. You think to yourself, ‘Wow, how far have things come that you can have an Irish rock star wandering through Number 10 after a few drinks?’ Years ago that was just preposterous.”

(c) The Mirror, 2009.