Charli XCX: Stefani's my idol

Charli XCX thinks Gwen Stefani is a total badass.

The British singer has taken the charts by storm in 2014 with hits like Boom Clap and her joint venture with Iggy Azalea, Fancy.

As well as performing her lyrics, Charli is happy to pen tracks for other artists. She recently worked with Gwen and loved every minute.

"I just wrote songs for Gwen Stefani's upcoming album. It was an honour. She's a total badass and always will be!" Charli gushed to Us Weekly magazine.

While she's been busy out on the roads performing her hits, Charli has been recognised by industry bigwigs.

The 22-year-old received two Grammy nominations for her work on Fancy and admits it's a dream come true to have her tracks regarded in such high esteem.

"Um, it's insane! I've been doing those since I was 14, so it feels like I've been waiting forever for this," she smiled.

While Charli didn't share what she's hoping for this Christmas, she was gifted with a strange present earlier this year.

She recently gigged across the US and reveals fans there bought her an odd item.

"It's good. I just came back from there [America], I did a tour there. I met some crazy ass fans; they gave me some cool presents. They gave me a Justin Bieber blow up doll and lots of other fun stuff," Charli recently laughed to BBC Radio 1.

"Being in America has been pretty weird. I've been, like, doing dance routines with Iggy Azalea - very random. But it's been good."