"I don't want to sound like Catherine Cookson but I've worked since I was eight, with a paper round and in a fruit and veg shop. Taking a pay cut won't demotivate me, not at all. It's not about money in the first place. It's about the job"

Paul O'Grady is emphasizing the significance of the task itself, rather than the money related to it. He is stating that he has actually worked because he was 8, which taking a pay cut would not demotivate him. This recommends that he values the job itself more than the cash he earns from it. He is likewise making a contrast to Catherine Cookson, a British author known for her books about working-class life. This comparison implies that he is familiar with the battles of working-class life, and that he is not motivated by money. He is encouraged by the job itself, and the complete satisfaction of doing it well. This quote is a pointer that cash is not the only thing that matters in life, and that the job itself can be a source of inspiration and satisfaction.