So how DID Paddy McGuinness land coveted Radio 2 slot? As former Top Gear ... trends now

The shock announcement of Paddy McGuiness' new Radio 2 Sunday morning slot has had some loyal listeners scratching their heads - but comes after the comedian showed extraordinary loyalty to the BBC in the aftermath of Top Gear's disastrous end. 

The popular motoring show has not aired since 2022 following the horror crash involving former England star Freddie Flintoff on the test track at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey.

Whilst driving a three-wheeled Morgan Super 3 without a helmet, Flintoff received 'life-altering significant' injuries that kept him out of work leading him to negotiate 'a £9million settlement' with the BBC for two years' loss of earnings. 

Last year, the BBC announced the show would be rested for the 'foreseeable future' and in the years following the crash, neither McGuiness or Flintoff's fellow co-host Chris Harris have spoken to criticise safety arrangements on the show. 

Last week, it was reported that both McGuiness and Harris would reunite for a new motoring series that appears to be Top Gear without Flintoff in all but name - something the BBC has denied.  

According to the Sun, the touted 'Chris & Paddy: Roadtrip' series which will see the pair head out for a 'turbo-charged adventure around Europe'. 

He is also lined up to replace Gregg Wallace on documentary series Inside the Factory. 

It's a bumper year for McGuinness who has plans to return to touring a stand-up show after several years off of the circuit because the 'money has run out'. He also split from his wife Christine in July 2022 after 11 years of marriage.

He told This Morning in December: 'Erm, well the money's run out now so it took about eight years to spend it all and I'm like, 'I've got to build it back up'.

'So weirdly, writing a tour does take a lot of your time. When we had the break from Top Gear, I'd been planning it for a long time, I went, 'There's a window there'.' 

Some BBC Radio 2 listeners reacted with fury on Tuesday after the BBC revealed Paddy, 50, will host a new Sunday show between 11am and 1pm from June amid a major shake up at the station.

The Top Gear star first presented on Radio 2 last year when covering the pop quiz Ten To The Top while Vernon Kay was fundraising for Children In Need.

His appointment prompted an outcry, with listeners blasting him as 'irritating' and holding him responsible for the downfall of Question of Sport after he took over Sue Barker as the show's host in 2021.

In the years since the accident, McGuinness has remained steadfastly loyal to the BBC and his new appointment to BBC Radio 2 as well as his new show with Harris should come as a positive following a difficult 2023. 

Last year, it was revealed that four of the star's programmes, Catchpoint, I Can See Your Voice, A Question of Sport and Top Gear would not be returning to screens. 

At the time, a TV insider close to Paddy told the Sun: This will come as a real blow to Paddy, who's made a firm commitment to the Beeb since he quit ITV four years ago.

'Both I Can See Your Voice and Catchpoint saw him retain his place as a star of Saturday night TV, something he forged fronting dating favourite Take Me Out on ITV.

'But these axings mean that's effectively gone, so he's likely to be looking for new projects to fill the void.'

McGuinness' new show with Harris will be the first time the pair have appeared on screens together since Top Gear. 

However despite their on-air banter, Harris had previously confessed the pair are not as close as they appear. 

He told the Sun in 2022: 'I count Paddy and Freddie as friends but I don't want to go to their houses. If I'm driving up north, I don't think I'll pop in and see Paddy for a cup of tea. I'd rather kick a wall with my bare foot.' 

Neither Harris nor McGuinness have ever publicly commented on the details of the stunt that hospitalised Flintoff.

Previously, a source close to Flintoff alleged he had been apprehensive before it was filmed. 

They claimed: 'Freddie voiced his worries about the safety of the stunt on set on the day of the accident. He questioned whether or not it was OK, given the vehicle and conditions on the track.' 

Paddy also told the Sun that he and Flintoff 'weren’t pro drivers' and that there 'were things where we’d be, "Oh hold on a minute, can we get a bit more training on this?" if we were nervous.'

Some BBC Radio 2 listeners have vowed to stop listening to the station after Paddy was announced as the host of a new prime Sunday morning show - amid concerns that he is a 'kiss of death' for programmes on TV and radio.

He will take over Michael Ball's plush 11am slot on Sundays from June with a new show with an as-yet-unspecified format - prompting an outcry from veteran Radio 2 listeners who find him off-putting. 

Reacting to his appointment on social media, many users questioned Paddy's track record with his BBC output, making reference to his failed revamp of a Question of Sport. 

Radio 2 bosses say Paddy made a 'huge impression' with listeners sitting in for Rylan Clark on his Saturday show in recent weeks - but listeners to Britain's most popular radio station fear his presence will further 'decimate' its audience.

Speaking to MailOnline, Jonathan Shalit OBE media expert and Chairman of InterTalent Rights dismissed any notion that the BBC may be rearranging its deckchairs following Top Gear. 

He said:  'The head of Radio 2 makes decisions based in the context of Radio 2, they're not thinking about BBC television - they hire the broadcaster they think is right. 

'He's a top BBC star absolutely, and a quality star at that. 

'They wouldn't be hiring him unless they knew there was a massive audience for him.' 

Recent presenter shake-ups and fall-outs have seen Radio 2 drop almost a million listeners in the last year - most notably the departure of Ken Bruce, and the replacement of Steve Wright with Radio 1's Scott Mills in the weekday afternoon slot.

In addition, a number of shows Paddy has presented have been canned or put in hold including the most recent reboots of Top Gear and A Question of Sport and music challenge I Can See Your Voice.

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