Anyone who had a heart op: Not me, says Macca

Paul McCartney has taken to the internet to deny the stories circulating that he's had a heart op:

"There was a minor irregularity which I needed to have tests for and which I have now been assured is completely fine."

Saying he wanted to set the record straight, he joked: "I have secretly been enjoying all the sympathy."
[...]
Sir Paul said the tests took place over a year ago.

"The media have only just recently reported an exaggerated version of this and that is why people have been asking me if I am OK," he said.

Actually, Paul, people are asking you if you're okay because over the last twelve months you've started to look drawn and haggered, heart op or no heart op.

Curiously, this might be one of those rare occasions where the Daily Express has been proved to be rig... to be riiiii... no, however hard I try my computer keeps rejecting the phrase suggesting that Britain's number one source for Diana-and-Maddie fibs might have been correct. But it was the Express which reported back in 2006 that McCartney had had a heart scare - although the McCartney camp, erm, denied the story:

A spokesman for Sir Paul denied the visit was caused by a health scare.

They said: "Sir Paul had a routine, regular check-up. It was not to do with his heart and was something planned for some time."

Presumably the current denial of that denial is intended to make the denial of the more recent story seem more plausible, although on this basis, McCartney's people will respond to his obituary with a chipper "he's not dead, but did have heart surgery in 2008 which is probably where this story originated."

It's up to Paul what he chooses to make public, of course, but if his people had just told the truth in 2006, he could probably have avoided this rumour taking hold.