Paul McCartney was once offered his own Netflix roast
What's the story
In a surprising revelation, it has been reported that Paul McCartney was once approached to be the subject of a Netflix roast. The proposal was part of an effort to follow up on 2024's Tom Brady roast with another high-profile celebrity. However, the legendary musician decided against it. Jeff Ross, the "Roastmaster General" and executive producer of the franchise, confirmed this to Variety.
Statement
'It would be so funny to me because...'
Ross told the outlet, "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."
Franchise goals
Will Smith was also considered for a potential roast
Netflix's stand-up comedy chief Robbie Praw told the outlet that the company had considered several names for potential roasts. One of these names was Will Smith, according to a 2025 report by Puck. Sources told Variety that roasting Smith could have helped him repair his image after the infamous Oscar slap incident. The roast franchise started in 2024 with Brady's roast, hosted by Kevin Hart and nominated for an Emmy for a live variety special.
Future roasts
Ross wants to make the Netflix roasts 'the Super Bowl'
Ross told Variety in November that he wanted the Netflix franchise to become "the Super Bowl of roasting." He said, "There are a lot of B-list celebrities who want to get roasted." "Tom Brady, I held onto for three years. He retired, unretired, got divorced, then we decided to do it at the Netflix festival." "We have another festival coming up in May...I'm pretty confident we'll have a roast in the spring. To get a whale sometimes takes a while."