The Beatles rejected £50 million for a reunion concert because of an 18ft Great White Shark.

The quartet split in 1970 but were offered a huge sum - which would be worth around £200 million today - to get back together five years later but ultimately rejected the offer from showman Bill Sargent as they were unhappy the warm-up act was to have been a wrestling match between a man and the giant creature.

Ringo told the Sunday Mirror newspaper: ''We did talk one time. There was a crazy offer out there.

''We called each other to see what we think. We decided not to do it because the opening act was a guy biting a shark. So we thought no.''

John Lennon was shot dead in 1980, while George Harrison lost his battle with cancer in 2001 and 79-year-old Ringo - who is set to perform an online gig with surviving bandmate Sir Paul McCartney - believes there would have been a reunion between them eventually if they were all still alive.

He said: ''If John and George had not died there was surely a possibility of that. Paul and I are still on the road. John would have still been on the road. I don't know about George. We'd still be doing what we love to do.

''Maybe separately, maybe together. Nobody knows.''

The drummer admitted he never expected the group to split when they did.

He said: ''When we finished 'Abbey Road' I did not walk away thinking that's the last album. I thought 'we'll be back in how many months and we'll do another'.

''Between times we did actually break. No one went away thinking 'That's it'.

''I didn't leave the studio thinking that will be the last record we'd ever make. I never thought that. I didn't think it would be the last time we'd ever tour together either.''