Sir Paul McCartney reflects on fame, family and The Beatles in two special Goalhanger podcast interviews released this week.
The first episode is available today on The Rest Is Entertainment, where Richard Osman and Marina Hyde put questions from listeners to the former Beatle.
A second interview follows on 15 May on The Rest Is History, with Tom Holland exploring Sir Paul’s childhood, songwriting and memories of Liverpool.
Across the two conversations, Sir Paul shares his thoughts on celebrity, class, history and the lasting appeal of songs written more than 60 years ago.
On The Rest Is Entertainment, he explains why he no longer poses for photographs with fans. He says he avoids them because he does not want to lose the sense of being an ordinary person.
“I really do not want to feel like that monkey,” he says, comparing himself to a performer on a beach in Saint-Tropez who is paid to appear in tourists’ pictures.
Sir Paul also discusses influencer culture, admitting he does not fully understand why “people who don’t seem to be particularly talented are incredibly famous”.
Looking back at the early days of The Beatles, he recalls the group actively sought approval and success.
“What is it you’re looking for? Approval. Money. To get out of your circumstances and rise in the world,” he says.
He rejects the idea that fame was ever a burden when the band first became successful.
“When you’re first famous, you love it,” he says. “There was none of this ‘oh, people are bothering me’.”
Sir Paul also explains why he still performs his biggest songs, saying audiences deserve to hear the tracks they know. He points to Hey Jude as an example of music bringing people together, even in politically divided times.
In The Rest Is History, he speaks in more detail about his upbringing in Liverpool and the influence of his parents. He recalls his mother cycling through deep snow to deliver babies as a midwife, describing her as brave.
He also says writing his first song, I Lost My Little Girl, shortly after his mother’s death helped him deal with grief.
Reflecting on recording at Abbey Road, Sir Paul says The Beatles often turned brand new songs into finished recordings within minutes, trusting each other’s instincts.
The two interviews offer both a personal and historical look at one of music’s most enduring figures.
Watch or listen to The Rest Is Entertainment wherever you get your podcasts: https://linktr.ee/therestisentertainment
Watch or listen to The Rest Is History wherever you get your podcasts: https://linktr.ee/RestIshistory
