New book by Macca's old manager says Paul was a bolshy Beatle, writes ALISON BOSHOFF

He's enjoyed an image as the most genial of the Fab Four – and as the eternally 'thumbs aloft' family man in Wings and in his solo career since.

But is Sir Paul McCartney capable of being... mean?

That's one conclusion you could draw from a fascinating new book, Bigger Than The Beatles by Macca's former manager Richard Ogden.

Between 1987 and 1993, Ogden oversaw McCartney's five solo albums plus two tours, including a date in Rio which set a world record for the biggest audience.

Yet it seems that Macca the boss was a tricky proposition. Warned his tours were losing money, the former Beatle would apparently repeat (loudly) the mantra: 'Paul McCartney doesn't lose money!'

He also reportedly said at an early meeting with Ogden: 'I don't work to budgets, I don't need to.'

In his book, Ogden describes how the former Beatle would routinely dress him down for hours as they wrangled over tours and finances. Ogden told me this week that others were present for those meetings and can back up his accounts.

According to Ogden, he came to work for McCartney after being headhunted by Linda McCartney's brother John Eastman.

At the time, he was managing director of Polydor Records; and McCartney was recovering from two flops: the film Give My Regards To Broad Street and the album Press To Play.

They met at the Soho Square offices of McCartney Productions Ltd (MPL).

'I had not been at all impressed by most of Paul's solo output,' Ogden wrote of his potential new client.

'It seemed very clear that here was an artiste who really did need a knowledgeable straight-talking and most of all creative-minded manager.

'The master plan was to put together a permanent new band, record with them, and promote that with extensive publicity and touring, which [he] hadn't done for years.'

McCartney did start writing new music but, in one of his first acts, Ogden told him that none of the 20 tracks was 'strong enough' to be released as a single.

'Linda, looking at me all wide-eyed, said, "Ooh, now you've done it. No one ever spoke to him like that before",' Ogden recalls.

'It undoubtedly earned me my first black mark.'

There was more conflict over the release of a greatest hits album, All The Best!, after Linda's father Lee Eastman told Paul that greatest hits 'were for has-beens'. It went triple platinum.

The 1989-1990 world tour was unhappy. Ticket sales and media reaction had been going well – 'but apparently not well enough to satisfy Paul, who had taken to verbally abusing his manager (that would be me) in front of Linda and his band.'

There were also arguments because Paul had 'a visceral dislike of the idea that he was having to do anything for money'.

Told in February 1993 that he was spending too much, and that the tour was losing money, 'he shouted furiously at me, "Paul McCartney doesn't lose money!"'

That New World Tour was set to be a financial disaster, as Macca refused to play more dates and didn't want to reduce the size of the production to fit in smaller arenas.

There was a vituperative meeting on the subject in New York, attended by Linda's brother John, who was Paul's attorney.

Ogden recalls that Paul was furious with them both, and told John he wasn't 'half the man your father was' before concluding: 'Get out of my sight, the pair of you.'

Walking out of the meeting, Ogden recalls asking Eastman: 'Why do you let him speak to you like that?'

Eastman replied: 'Oh well, it wasn't too bad. John Lennon was much worse.'

Sandra's main rival at the Oscars could be... Sandra

Perhaps we should re-name the Oscars 'the Sandras' because this year could be one for the record books for German actress Sandra Hüller.

Hüller, 48, is strongly fancied to appear in the Best Actress category for Rose (not yet released here), in which she plays a woman in 17th century Germany who's passing as a man.

But she's also tipped for her role in the black and white drama Fatherland.

It follows a change in Academy rules, which means that, for the first time, actors can be nominated more than once in the same category.

Hüller also looks likely to appear in the supporting actress category for blockbuster hit Project Hail Mary.

And there's speculation she could be competing against herself here, too, for her turn in absurdist comedy Digger, alongside Tom Cruise.

Which would make it a double whammy… times two.

Hüller scored her first Oscar nomination in 2024 for Anatomy Of A Fall, but was beaten by Emma Stone for Poor Things.

Many thought her unlucky to not also get a supporting actress nod for The Zone Of Interest that year too.

Meanwhile, it's worth noting that Digger is following the same release path as Warner Bros' best-picture winner from last year, One Battle After Another.

No risky appearances at film festivals – then a nice wide roll-out at the end of September/early October, once summer blockbuster season is over.

Cruise is in search of an Oscar for Digger, too...

There's no overlap, as pundits seek to expand their empires 

Gary Neville is entering his media mogul era – with the former footballer expanding from podcasting and punditry into a straightforward filmed entertainment format.

His company Buzz 16 is preparing to launch a new YouTube show which will be a football version of the BBC's much-missed show A Question Of Sport (axed in 2023) and Sky's variation A League Of Their Own, which came off air in 2025.

The programme, as yet untitled, will air on YouTube where massive audiences already watch Neville's interview show The Overlap and the discussion show Stick To Football.

Word is that Neville, on screen during the World Cup as an ITV pundit, hopes to take his Stick To Football crew of Roy Keane, Jamie Carragher and Ian Wright on to the new show as well.

The move follows Neville's YouTube media business The Overlap entering a partnership with broadcasting behemoth Global earlier this year, which they said would lead to an expansion into new formats.

Neville says his aim is for it to become the biggest non-live football platform worldwide.

His company is advertising for a 'football-obsessed researcher to help shape an exciting Football YouTube quiz show from the ground up'.

The advert continues: 'You'll research and fact-check content, write engaging quiz questions, brief talent and keep the show packed with the latest football stories, trends and talking points.'

YouTube's share of TV viewing is booming, and a number of the platform's biggest stars are now finding a home on streamers such as Netflix – including Gary Lineker, with a new daily TV show version of his podcast The Rest Is Football.

There appears to be a friendly rivalry between the two Garys – both once heroes of the beautiful game.

Former Manchester United captain Neville's The Overlap is more popular on YouTube than The Rest Is Football. (But Lineker's podcasting empire also features The Rest Is History, The Rest Is Politics and The Rest Is Entertainment.)

In an interview this summer, Lineker said of the Netflix version of The Rest Is Football: 'It will be nothing like the aforementioned show [meaning The Overlap]... ours is a bit more than just Man United. Joke.'

Lineker set up his production company Goalhanger in 2014, with Tony Pastor.

Pastor noted their business and Neville's Buzz 16 'have some similarities but in many ways we're very different'.

He said: 'We've taken a broader approach in terms of genres. Our biggest show in the UK is The Rest Is Politics; and our biggest show worldwide is The Rest Is History. We don't really compete with Buzz 16, we have different business models. I'm a massive fan of what they do.'

Tactful!

Romesh's special brand of hands-off management

Is Romesh Ranganathan spreading himself too thin? At least one of his colleagues thinks so.

Comedian Ed Gamble, who is the host of a new panel game show called Unacceptable, said Romesh contacted him just once – by text – during the filming of the six-part series for TLC, even though he is listed as the show's executive producer.

'The text read: "How's it going?" he recounted. 'I replied: "It's fine." And I heard nothing more. At best, I would call his executive producer title a vanity credit.'

Ranganathan presents The Weakest Link, his own podcast, a show on BBC Radio 2 and has also appeared on Michael McIntyre's Big Show and The Jonathan Ross Show this year.

It's the plank for you, Siobhan tells co-stars

Nicola Coughlan finds her Derry Girls co-star Siobhan McSweeney a teeny bit terrifying.

She said: 'She can plank for ages – she used to plank every day. She's a serious planker.'

She continued: 'Every day on the play [The Playboy Of The Western World, at the National Theatre, which they appeared in together earlier this year] she'd go "30-second plank!" and make everyone get on the ground. Sometimes I'd just run away – I didn't want to do it.'

For those not in the know, planking is when you do a push-up – and hold it. For what seems like forever. Or 30 seconds, if you are Ms McSweeney.

ITV staff brace for £66million worth of woe

Tough times at ITV, which has just been sold to Sky.

It seems further cuts are on the way for big daytime names due to an ongoing row with the taxman over how freelancers like Lorraine are paid.

In its annual report, ITV said it was setting aside £66million to fight pending court cases – an increase on the £61million provision made last year.

But the report also notes the final amount needed could still be 'significantly different'.

'It is difficult to provide a range for the expected final amounts payable, as case law is continually evolving on this matter, particularly in relation to Front of Camera presenters,' it said.

The legal issues are one of the reasons for the cull of 200 staff, including presenters on shows such as Loose Women, last year.

A slightly sleepy start for Holly Willoughby's imminent YouTube lifestyle show Together.

She directed her Instagram followers to the Holly Willoughby Together channel on Wednesday morning… but so far it's only garnered 202 subscribers.