Freddie Flintoff, 41, and Paddy McGuiness, 45, were announced as the new Top Gear presenters last year, joining Chris Harris, 44, to front the BBC motor show. The duo will be replacing former presenters Matt Le Blanc, 51, and Rory Reid, 39, who made their final appearance as hosts of the show earlier this year. Viewers will be eager to see how the pair’s “chemistry” comes across, but the Take Me Out frontman has admitted there is an “intense” rivalry between the pair. In an interview with Radio Times, Paddy revealed their pairing has forced him to face his phobias.
I didn’t like flying
Paddy McGuiness
With the former cricketer taking on every challenge which comes his way, Paddy admitted to having to follow suit and face his fear of flying.
He told the publication: “I didn’t like flying. I never have. I would get on flights blind drunk – that was my default setting. Well, I can’t do that on this show because I’m driving a car at the other end.
“So, I went to see a doctor to combat my fear, and it was the best money I ever spent. Now it’s great. It’s the best way to travel! I’m all over it now – I love it!”
Meanwhile, on the official Top Gear Twitter page, they released the trailer for the latest series of the BBC show last week.
In view of their 1.9million followers, they captioned the short clip: “Brand new #TopGear starts Sunday 16th June at 8pm on @bbctwo and @bbciplayer. Here's a look at what's to come…”
