Paul McCartney has explained why he turns down selfie requests from fans, saying the habit helps him stay grounded and maintain a sense of normal life. Speaking on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, the 83-year-old said that when people reach for their phones, he tells them, “I’m sorry, I don’t do pictures,” and described that stance as “radical these days.”
McCartney said the issue is not that he dislikes fans. In fact, he said he often gives people a long explanation about why he prefers not to pose, because he feels strongly that he should remain “just me.” He said the minute he starts thinking he is something above himself, “I won’t like me,” and added that staying normal matters deeply to him.
To explain his discomfort, McCartney used a very specific image: a monkey on a beach in Saint-Tropez that tourists pay to photograph. He said he does not want to feel like that monkey when someone takes a picture with him, because in that moment he feels less like himself and more like a spectacle. He also joked that the whole story is so long-winded that fans probably go home telling friends he spent their meeting talking about “some bloody monkey.”
The conversation also touched on how McCartney sees modern celebrity culture. He said he does not really understand the influencer world, and while he admitted that can make him sound old-fashioned, he was blunt about the fact that many people with huge followings do not seem especially talented to him.
McCartney’s comments came as he continues to promote his upcoming solo album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, which is due out on May 29. The record includes his first-ever duet with former Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr, titled “Home to Us,” and the album title comes from a lyric in “Days We Left Behind.” He has said the project is shaped by memories of Liverpool and his early life near Forthlin Road in the Speke suburb.
At its core, McCartney’s message is simple: he would rather have a real conversation than turn every meeting into a photo op. For one of the most famous musicians in the world, that is a surprisingly human stance — and one he clearly has no intention of changing.
