Paddy McGuinness has been announced as the new host of the popular BBC Two documentary series, Inside the Factory.
The Top Gear and A Question of Sport star will join the show for the ninth series, which will go into production later in the year and hit our screens at some point in 2024. This means he'll be joining fellow presenters Cherry Healey and historian Ruth Goodman as they uncover the secrets of the incredible machines and spotlight the skills and work ethics of the employees who put together some of our favourite everyday products.
Talking about his new role, Paddy McGuinness said: "One of my first jobs was in a factory so I've come full circle. I'm fascinated by the machinery and the people who make it all tick. Hair nets aside, I can't wait to get cracking!"
Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual, commented: “Inside the Factory is one of the BBC’s best-loved Factual brands. It deserves to have a big star at the helm - so I’m unbelievably excited that Paddy is putting on his white coat and rising to the challenge.
"He has a passion for production and engineering that’s impossible to fake. Working alongside current presenters Cherry Healey and Ruth Goodman, I know Paddy will bring new energy to this joyful series. I can’t wait to see him in action.”
Paddy replaces the previous host, MasterChef host Gregg Wallace, who confirmed he would be leaving the show behind so he could spend more time with his son, Sid, who has autism earlier in 2023.
Talking about his decision to step down from Inside the Factory on BBC Radio London, Gregg Wallace said: "I've made the decision that I'm actually not going to do Inside the Factory anymore. It's a good time to stop doing it because there are 12 episodes in the can... so I wouldn't have been filming for a while anyway, so it just seemed like a good idea to stop it."
Reflecting on the decision to support his family at the time, Wallace added: "Imagine a child that you can't threaten or bribe and that's basically what you've got. You've got a little boy who's cuddly and happy and naughty like any little boy would be, but he can't speak, he can't talk to you, so he gets frustrated because he finds it difficult to tell you what exactly it is he needs.
"Right now, we need to find education for him and I can't just leave that to Anna — that's a big, big decision."
Inside the Factory will return to BBC Two and BBC iPlayer in early 2024. If you're looking for more things to watch in the meantime, be sure to check out our picks for the best BBC dramas you should be streaming on iPlayer right now.
