Paul McCartney has stuck up for Miley Cyrus, claiming that “We’ve all seen worse than that.”

McCartney, who released his latest solo album New on Monday (October 14), was asked to give his opinion on Cyrus’ recent activity, including her performance at the MTV VMAs, during an interview with Sky News.

Admitting that he had watched the performance after hearing about the furore it caused, McCartney said: “I don’t think it was explicit at all. You couldn’t see anything,” McCartney said. “I watched it as an experiment to check, but you look at it and you say, ‘What’s everyone shouting about?’ She’s a young girl – she’s like only 20 or something – and she’s just having a go. Someone said to me that the world that people like Miley live in is all noise and they’ve got to get above the noise. So they’ve got to do something.”

Continuing his defence of the Bangerz singer, McCartney added: “I think it was only mildly shocking. She was dancing with Robin Thicke at the awards. So what? C’mon, we’ve all seen worse than that.”

Yesterday it was revealed that McCartney will appear at the newly reopened HMV flagship store at 363 Oxford Street this Friday (October 18). The singer will sign copies of his new album New for fans at 3pm the central London shop, the same location where The Beatles cut the demo disc that led to them meeting George Martin and subsequently signing to EMI in 1962. Some 60 tickets guaranteeing access to the signing will be given away as competition prizes.