Former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr says religion has had a huge influence on his life.

“I feel the older I get, the more I’m learning to handle life. Being on this quest for a long time, it’s all about finding yourself,” the 69-year-old said. “For me, God is in my life. I don’t hide from that. I think the search has been on since the 1960s.”

Ringo - whose late bandmate John Lennon controversially proclaimed The Beatles were bigger than Jesus at the height of the band’s fame - credits his faith with helping him turn his life around following his battles with drugs and alcohol in the ‘70s.

Speaking at an event at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, Starr explained: “I stepped off the path there for many years and found my way back onto it, thank God.”

Ringo - real name Richard Starkey Jr. - also revealed he isn’t concerned about turning 70 later this year. “I don’t think 70 is as big as 40 was. That was like, ‘Oh God, 40!’” he said. “There’s that damn song, ‘Life Begins At 40’. No, it’s not so big any more. I am nearly 70 and I’d love to be nearly 40 but that’s never going to happen.”