Netflix wanted to roast Paul McCartney, thankfully, he told them where to go
It has emerged that Paul McCartney rejected the opportunity to be roasted on Netflix for all of the world to see.
Over the past weekend, it was Kevin Hart who was thrown into the lion’s den and brutally roasted by fellow comedians, such as Shane Gillis, Katt Williams and Pete Davidson, on the streaming platform, but it could have been a very different show.
Comedian Jeff Ross, who is also the executive producer of the roast franchise, has confirmed that McCartney rejected the request.
Ross told Variety, “We did ask Paul McCartney at one point. To me, that would be a fantasy roast. Paul McCartney doesn’t need anything, but a Paul McCartney roast would be good for the world. It would be so funny to me because he is so loved.”
While there is no bigger name in music than McCartney, nobody wants to see an 83-year-old beloved musical legend be taunted by hack jokes about the deaths of John Lennon or Linda McCartney.
The first roast for Netflix was Tom Brady, and rather than make it a regular event, they have been saving the format for the big occasions.
Although McCartney said no to the idea, Ross hasn’t given up hope in securing another major name from the world of music, telling Variety, “A pop star or a rock star would be great. A rapper would be great.”
He then explained why Drake and Stevie Wonder are at the top of his wishlist, adding, “I could see Drake getting roasted and being a great one. One of my all-time favourite ideas is Stevie Wonder. I always say ‘The Roast of Stevie Wonder: You’ve got to hear it to believe it.”
McCartney won’t be getting roasted on Netflix anytime soon, but he will serve as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live this weekend, which hopefully should allow him to get involved in making comedy rather than being on the receiving end of it.
He will be previewing material from his new studio album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, which is set to be released on May 29th.
Elsewhere, in the world of McCartney, he recently revealed the 10 songs that have soundtracked his life, which he will speak about in depth as part of a special radio programme on BBC Radio 2 later this month.
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