Boris Johnson Praises Mercury Prize Winner Speech DeBelle

London Mayor Boris Johnson has praised Speech DeBelle for winning the coveted Mercury Prize last night.

Writing on his official Twitter page, the 45-year-old politician said: "Congratulations to Speech DeBelle on the Mercury Prize! Great to see a south Londoner showing off the amazing talent in this city!"

After scooping the award for 'Speech Therapy' last night, DeBelle said: “I feel so good. It feels better than I imagined,” she said. “I’m from south London, I don’t normally get emotional, but I feel emotional.

"This proves if you believe in something and you think you can do it, you can achieve it."

Florence and the Machine were favourite to win the award, while Kasabian, Bat For Lashes and La Roux were also nominated.

You can see the action from the 2009 Mercury Prize below: