Why Sir Paul McCartney refuses to pose for selfies with fans

Sir Paul McCartney doesn't like posing for fan selfies as they are usually unflaterring, with him looking "a bit miserable". Photo / Getty Images

Sir Paul McCartney loves his fans, but he really hates selfies. The musician has grown tired of posing for photos with fans. For a very specific reason.

The Beatles legend is happy to spend time chatting with fans when they stop him in the street but he won't pose for photographs with them because they are typically of poor quality and he always looks "a bit miserable".

He told Reader's Digest magazine: "What you've usually got is a ropey photo with a poor backdrop and me looking a bit miserable. Let's chat, let's exchange stories."

And the 79-year-old musician thinks the concept of signing autographs is a "bit strange" so he doesn't comply with fans requests to scrawl his signature for them either.

He said: "It always struck me as a bit strange - 'Here, can I write your name down on the back of this till receipt please?' Why? We both know who I am."

McCartney was less reticent to have a selfie taken when he ran into Ryan Reynolds back in 2018. Reynolds, known for his online pranks and love of sarcasm posted a photo of himself with McCartney with the caption: "Have you ever had a dream to meet someone so badly and somehow it comes true? You're welcome, Paul."

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A post shared by Ryan Reynolds (@vancityreynolds)

Paul is not the first Beatle to put his foot down with fans, as the band's other surviving member, drummer, Sir Ringo Starr, stopped signing for fans after he realised they were making money from them.

He said previously: "I don't autograph. All autographs are on stuff that I've (done). One of my paintings or something I'm involved with, and it goes to charity. It doesn't just go out there for other people to sell."

Ringo also posted a video message for fans where he said that any fan mail would not be read by him, but wished them "peace and love".

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A post shared by Ringo Starr (@ringostarrmusic)

He said: "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 a date on the envelope, it's going to be tossed. I'm warning you with peace and love I have too much to do. So no more fan mail, thank you, thank you, and no objects to be signed, Nothing.

Anyway, peace, love, peace, of love."