Paddy McGuinness has revealed he was told "be careful" by Freddie Flintoff before taking on a TV role.
The two stars are co-hosts of popular BBC programme Top Gear. Paddy spoke about his presenting stint on Aimee Fuller's The Monday Mile podcast, which sees the former sportswoman try to find the secrets for Monday motivation from some of the most successful public personalities.
The Bolton comic was the guest on the latest episode and revealed why he was more concerned about taking the reins for A Question of Sport than Top Gear. The 49-year-old said he received a word of warning from Freddie after accepting the role on the iconic BBC quiz show - as MEN reports.
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He 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 times where he has doubted himself. He told the podcast host: "You’ve got to go for it. 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 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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