Ringo Starr pulls out of US TV show over slot dispute

Ringo Starr pulled out of US talk show 'Live With Regis And Kelly' at the last minute this week after producers told him he'd have to cut short his song. The former Beatle was due to perform 'Liverpool 8' off his new album on the show, but refused to go on when the show's producer said the performance couldn't be any longer that 2 minutes and 30 second - Ringo said he needed at least 3 minutes to perform the track. Starr's publicist tried to persuade the show's producers to cut the interview time with Ringo instead, but they refused, so the whole appearance was pulled. Dave Stewart, producer of Starr's new album, who was due to perform with the Beatle, criticised the show for being disrespectful to artists, though Ringo himself seemed willing to let the dispute quickly pass, saying he'd go back on the show in the future if they could agree on his performance time.