Paddy McGuinness reveals Freddie Flintoff’s ‘warning’ ahead of Question of Sport hosting gig
Paddy McGuinness has revealed his Top Gear co-star Freddie Flintoff gave him a warning before he took on hosting Question of Sport.
The Take Me Out star, 49, took over hosting the BBC series in 2021, after Sue Barker, 66, stepped down after 24 years.
At the time, Paddy said: ‘I love the fiercely competitive nature of sports stars coupled with having a laugh. That’s why A Question Of Sport has always been one of my favourite shows and having been weaned on it from an early age, this is an honour and opportunity I’m certainly not taking lightly.
‘I grew up with both Davids hosting but it’s Sue who made this show her own. She will always be A Question Of Sport icon, but I’ll try my best to stamp my own mark on it.’
However, he’s now revealed he was warned ahead of taking it.
‘For me personally, the pressure I felt, I felt it more for A Question of Sport than Top Gear,’ Paddy said.
‘I remember Freddie, when I got the job, he rang me up and he said, “Oh God, be careful”.’
He continued on The Monday Mile podcast: ‘We were talking about how it can be talked about online and stuff. He said he stood in on a sports breakfast show, I don’t know which one it were but he stood in for a month and he said the abuse he got.
‘He said, “I’m an ex-sports person, Ashes and all that, and even I got abuse!” So there’s something about sport. People get a bit militant.’
Paddy also had similar feelings when he joined Top Gear with Freddie and Chris Harris, which had previously been fronted by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May.
He said: ‘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?
‘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?’
This comes after the future of Top Gear has yet to be decided, according to reports, after Freddie was airlifted to hospital after being involved in the accident while shooting for the hit motoring show at the Top Gear test track at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey on December 13.
Filming for the new series has now been halted, with sources indicating that Freddie is now ‘quitting the show’.
A Question of Sport and Top Gear are both available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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MORE : Jeremy Clarkson insists ‘Top Gear must be saved’ amid rumours Freddie Flintoff is ‘quitting’
MORE : Freddie Flintoff ‘leaving Top Gear’ as filming on series 34 halted after horror crash
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