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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Michael Segalov

Paul Merton: ‘It still baffles me that Paul McCartney knows who I am’

‘I was never the cheeky class clown’: Paul Merton.
‘I was never the cheeky class clown’: Paul Merton. Photograph: Dean Chalkley/Camera Press

Shy children often go on to perform. For kids who struggle one to one, engaging with audiences can be less daunting than with individuals. That was me in my youth, although no longer. I was never the cheeky class clown. I cracked quiet jokes at the back, unbeknown to the authorities.

Clumsiness has plagued me since childhood. My earliest memory is at three years old, trapping my little finger in the gap of a door’s hinge. It was painful. I still feel a twitch when I think about it now. Avoiding obstacles is not my forte.

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