NEWPORT’S giant vegetable grower Ian Neale spent Saturday night giving gardening tips to one of the biggest rap stars in the world.

Ian Neale, who grew an 85.5lb swede, went backstage at Snoop Dogg’s Cardiff gig after the star sent an open invitation to him online.

As reported in the Argus, Snoop Dogg posted a video on YouTube offering him tickets and inviting him backstage at his show at the Motorpoint Arena and the rapper was as good as his word.

After the show, Mr Neale, 68, went backstage for ten minutes for a chat with Snoop Dogg, who asked about tips for getting his vegetables to grow to enormous dimensions.

Mr Neale, from Langstone, said: “He was very nice to us and thanked me for going along.”

While Mr Neale enjoyed Snoop’s company, the same cannot be said for the concert itself.

He described it as his “first and last rap concert,” adding: “I still can’t hear properly, I walked into the house after the concert and it was like the house was singing to me.”