Why does Paul McCartney not take selfies with fans? Get The Beatles legend's latest stance

20 May 2026, 12:32 | Updated: 20 May 2026, 13:25

By Jenny Mensah

The Beatles legend has doubled down on his take on selfies saying it makes him feel like a "monkey" on a beachfront. Find out what he has to say...

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Sir Paul McCartney is considered living legend and is responsible for some of the most famous songs in the the world.

So when The Beatles and Wings icon stopped signing signatures a few years back and admitted he wasn't too keen on selfies, it's fair to say most fans agreed he'd earned the right to decide.

Now the 83-year-old has given a new interview, where he's explained his stance on the candid snaps again and explained why he doesn't find them comfortable.

Get his take on being asked for autographs and selfies below...

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Why does Paul McCartney decline selfies with fans?

Paul McCartney sat down with The Rest Is Entertainment's Richard Osman and Marina Hyde, who asked him questions on behalf of their audience members.

On the subject of dealing with fame and describing how it has changed in his lifetime, he noted that the one of the main differences was smartphones.

After telling a story about being spotted by a group of girls when he was younger and taking the train, the musician added: "The times have changed. So, now... phones. Phones! So if I meet someone, it's like 'Oh, oh!' [grabs at his pocket] and they're reaching for their phone, you know I say, 'I'm sorry I don't do pictures.' And that is radical these days."

"I told that to Oprah. She goes, 'What? You don't do pictures?' I said, 'No.' She said 'Why?' I said, 'I don't want to'. And it's as simple as that."

The Hey Jude singer added: "I don't like to do that. It's a bit like your question about innocence or normalness. I feel that's very important to me. The minute I get above myself and start thinking something else, I won't like me.

"So it's very important to me and I'll say to people, 'I don't want to do the photos,' and they say 'Why?' and [I say] 'I tell you what,' and I go into this very long-winded explanation of: 'Down on the south coast of France, Saint-Tropez, there's a guy on the beachfront who's got a monkey and you pay to have your photo taken with the monkey.'

"So I say, 'And I really do not want to feel like that monkey and I really feel like that. When I take a picture with you, I do feel like him.' I'm not me. I'm suddenly something else. "

Watch Paul McCartney's explanation from 11:00:

Sir Paul McCartney Answers YOUR Questions

It's not a new stance from Macca either.

Back in 2021, the musician suggested that he wasn't too keen on how impromptu photos ended up looking either, telling Reader's Digest: “What you’ve usually got is a ropey photo with a poor backdrop and me looking a bit miserable".

He added: “Let’s chat, let’s exchange stories.”

What did Paul McCartney say about autographs?

In 2021 Paul McCartney revealed he'd hung up his pen when it came to being asked for signatures, because he saw them as pointless and odd.

“It always struck me as a bit strange,” he said to Reader's Digest (via Rolling Stone). “‘Here, can I write your name down on the back of this till receipt please?’ Why? We both know who I am.”

What's Ringo Starr's no more fan mail video?

Back in 2008, The Beatles drummer Sir Ringo Star announced he'd no longer be accepting or replying to any more fan mail.

In a now-iconic video, the Yellow Sumbarine singer said to camera: “This is a serious message to everybody watching my update right now, PEACE AND LOVE, PEACE AND LOVE. I want to tell you - PLEASE - after the 20th of October, do not send fan mail to any address that you have.

“NOTHING WILL BE SIGNED after the 20th of October. If that has the date on the envelope, it’s gonna be tossed. I’M WARNING YOU - with peace and love - I HAVE TOO MUCH TO DO.

He added: "So NO MORE FAN MAIL. Thank you thank you - and no objects to be signed. NOTHING. Anyway, peace and love peace and love.”

Ringo Starr's "No More Fanmail" Video

At the time, the Beatle - whose real name is Richard Starkey, was a bit taken aback by the response to the clip, which seemed to echo the classic episode of The Simpsons when Marge finally gets a reply to the letter she sent to Ringo over 30 years before.

He later clarified that the ban was a direct response to an overwhelming number of sent items ending up being sold for profit on platforms like eBay, rather than a disdain for the fans.

In a statement, Ringo's "people" also said it was about "reducing his carbon footprint".

"This message was not aimed at 'real fans' and after over 45 years of signing we know they will understand. Ringo has always signed items and is in fact the only Beatle to have been doing so. Ringo also feels strongly that it is a waste of paper and we all should be mindful of our carbon footprint."