Paul McCartney has rubbished claims that former Beatle John Lennon had gay fantasies that included wanting to sleep with him.

McCartney spoke to The Sun and completely disputed recent claims made by biographer Philip Norman in a new book on Lennon that Lennon was gay.

"I don't think (the gay claims) are true," McCartney said.

"John never ever tried anything, I slept with him a million times."

"I've seen him on tour roaring drunk, out of his mind in the early days before he sobered up and went to rehab. Roaring drunk and it was always with a female.

"If you've got a little gay tendency and you're roaring drunk I'd have caught him once."

Norman earlier claimed that Lennon, who was murdered in New York in 1980, lusted after his mum.

This claim was based on audio recording of  Lennon, or someone who sounded like Lennon, speaking about an incident between him and his mother at the age of 14.

Tags: Beatles, gay, John Lennon, Paul McCartney