Paddy McGuinness has revealed a warning he received from Freddie Flintoff about taking on a TV role amid Top Gear's axe. The Bolton-born TV star has been speaking to double winter Olympian and TV presenter Aimee Fuller.
Paddy has appeared on Aimee's The Monday Mile podcast which sees the former sportswoman on a mission to find the secrets for Monday motivation from some of the most successful public personalities of our time and other household names. And the first guest of the new series is the comedian and presenter.
He joined Aimee on a windy and rainy walk in Teggs Nose Country Park in Cheshire and during the mile-long walk, Paddy shared philosophies he has relied on throughout his life and extensive career.
Sharing on the pressure of taking on host roles for iconic TV shows Top Gear and Question of Sport, Paddy said: "For me personally, the pressure I felt, I felt it more for A Question of Sport than Top Gear. I remember Freddie [Flintoff] when I got the job, and he rang me up and said, 'Oh God, be careful because it can be talked about online and stuff.'
"He said he stood in on a sports breakfast show for a month and he said the abuse he got, an ex sports person, the ashes and all that. He said, 'Even I got abuse.' So there’s something about sport. People get a bit militant."
Paddy had similar feelings when he was recruited for Top Gear, adding: "I love Top Gear. I had nothing to do with the show. I’d never been on it as a guest, nothing. I knew it caused a lot of friction on Twitter, but listen, what doesn’t?"
However, Paddy relied on a philosophy that has always got him through self-doubt or online criticism. "You’ve got to go for it," he told Aimee. "I’ve always kept this philosophy of if it’s offered to you, and you think it's within your realms of possibility doing it, then just go for it. Because why regret it later on in life, you know?"
Paddy's comments come after the BBC announced that the filming of Top Gear's latest series will not resume after the corporation’s investigation into presenter Freddie's crash. The former professional cricketer was taken to hospital after being involved in an accident while shooting for the hit motoring show.
The incident happened while he was at the Top Gear test track at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey on December 13. The BBC said in a fresh statement last week: "(BBC Studios) have sincerely apologised to Freddie and will continue to support him with his recovery. Under the circumstances, we feel it would be inappropriate to resume making series 34 of Top Gear at this time.
"We understand this will be disappointing for fans, but it is the right thing to do, and we’ll make a judgment about how best to continue later this year. This has also impacted the production team, who we continue to support. Finally, there will be a health and safety review of the show, in line with our procedures."
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