Sebastien Tellier, France’s entry in the 2008 Eurovision song contest, says he has been attacked by his own country for singing in English.

The musician is due to sing ‘Divine’, which was released this week, at the competition in Belgrade on Saturday (May 24th).

In an interview with the Telegraph, Tellier said that France’s conservatives, including a number of leading politicians, had told him to sing in French.

"The Minister of Culture and the Minister of French Language wrote to me to tell me their position,” he said.

“One side of France is very proud of acts like Air and Daft Punk, who are very popular although they sing in English.

"This side of France was really happy about my nomination, but the traditional part of France, from the old times, said, 'He has to sing in French.'"

Tellier, who believes the song is better in English, said that he had re-recorded the song with two French lines as a “wink to the French people."

(by Jason Gregory)