'It's kept millions of people alive': Bob Geldof addresses Band Aid criticism

Sir Bob Geldof is exhausted. He tells me that he fell asleep before our interview and hence he’s a bit late.

But get him on the subject of Band Aid 2024 and that famous urgency demanding your attention is evident.

As he lists all the vocal collaborations producer Trevor Horn has mixed, from three previous versions of the original single, he is literally stamping his feet with enthusiasm.

It’s so beautiful he declares, as he lists all the A-listers who can be heard on the new single.

Do They Know It’s Christmas is out chasing the top spot in the charts this festive season as it marks its 40th anniversary.

In 1984, the original mix raised £8 million for famine relief, and the trust set up afterwards has raised around £150 million.

The record makes money every year, Sir Bob tells me, listing all the ways that has happened. He knows his stuff, and is clearly tired of hearing criticism that he doesn’t.

Claims that the song perpetuates stereotypes about African victims relying on Western intervention from so-called white saviours have intensified over the years.

This year, Ed Sheeran said he wasn’t asked if he wanted to be included in the 2024 remix and he would have said no.

Sir Bob has nothing but praise for Sheeran but says they should agree to disagree.

He says he cannot understand the objections though he welcomes the reaction that the Band Aid project continues to get, both positive and negative.

Hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, he says, have been helped by the single, which negates all the criticism.

He believes the end justifies the means, others may never agree but Sir Bob has his eye on the prize – and that is simply raising money to help people in Africa through a song hastily created four decades ago, but which has arguably had one of the biggest impacts on popular culture.