A look back at Paddy McGuinness’s cancelled TV shows as the presenter prepares to launch a new series – but will he also face the kiss of death?

Paddy McGuinness will return to our screens with his new show alongside Chris Harris next week.

The presenter will return to the BBC with his fellow former Top Gear presenter for new three-part series Paddy and Chris: Road Tripping.

As the couple explore how to live a long life, they will meet some of the “healthiest, happiest and longest-lived people” on the continent, while visiting countries such as Sweden, Switzerland and Greece.

However, Paddy doesn’t have the best track record as a show host, as many of his previous shows were cancelled after his involvement in them.

The popular TV presenter, who rose to fame with the help of fellow comedian Peter Kay, previously presented BBC shows Top Gear, I Can See Your Voice and Question of Sport, all of which have since been cancelled.

The presenter will return to the BBC with his fellow former Top Gear presenter for new three-part series Paddy and Chris: Road Tripping, in which they explore how to live a long life.

Paddy lost his primetime Saturday night slot on both Catchpoint and I Can See Your Voice in February 2023.

It came just four years after she left ITV for the BBC when her dating show Take Me Out was cancelled after 11 series.

After losing both presenting roles to A source close to the broadcaster told The Sun: “This will be a huge blow for Paddy, who has been firmly committed to the BBC since leaving ITV four years ago.

‘But these layoffs mean that’s pretty much gone, so he’s likely looking for new projects to fill the void.

“He remains very popular with viewers, who see him as a friendly, funny guy they want to invite into their living rooms. He’s likely to bounce back in some way.”

Prior to this, Paddy joined the Top Gear line-up in 2019 alongside presenters Chris Harris and Freddie Flintoff, however, the show was brought to a halt after the latter was seriously injured in an accident during filming in December 2022.

And it was also claimed that Question of Sport had lost millions of viewers since Sue Barker stepped down as presenter and was replaced by Paddy in 2021.

The BBC sports quiz show was hosted by Sue, 66, from 1997 until 2021, when she was replaced by Paddy, with viewing figures dropping to an average of 850,000 for this series, according to The Sun.

The TV name, who rose to fame with the help of fellow comedian Peter Kay, previously presented BBC shows Top Gear, I Can See Your Voice (pictured) and Question of Sport, all of which have since been cancelled.

After losing both presenting roles, a TV source told The Sun: “This will be a real blow for Paddy, who has been firmly committed to the BBC since leaving ITV four years ago” (pictured on Catchphrase)

It came just four years after she left ITV for the BBC when her dating show Take Me Out was cancelled after 11 series.

Paddy initially rose to stardom alongside fellow Bolton comedian, the hugely popular Peter Kay, in Phoenix Nights after working as a lifeguard and fitness instructor at a leisure centre for over seven years.

Between four and five million viewers regularly tuned into the show when Sue was the host before she was axed in 2020 when bosses decided to revamp it.

In light of his past, Paddy hopes his latest series, which begins on Sunday 29 September, will break the pattern of his cursed shows.

In a sneak peek, the pair are seen surfing, trying out roller coasters, exercising in the woods and even trying out cosmetics as they discover how Europeans are making the most of their later years.

Paddy initially rose to stardom alongside fellow Bolton comedian, the hugely popular Peter Kay, in Phoenix Nights after working as a lifeguard and fitness instructor at a leisure centre for over seven years.

The star then rose to fame with Kay in Max and Paddy’s Road to Nowhere in 2004 and made the decision to pursue the entertainment business full-time.

Following Phoenix Nights, the Channel 4 series saw the pair reprise their roles as bodyguards, but this time following their trials and tribulations as they toured the roads of Britain in a camper van.

In addition to his comedy tours, Paddy continued to make regular television appearances, including a stunt role on This Morning and two series of Rory and Paddy’s Great British Adventure with comedian Rory McGrath.

He then landed the role of presenter of ITV’s Saturday night prime time show Take Me Out, in which a single man arrived on stage in a “love lift” before being greeted by a panel of 30 women.

It has also been claimed that Question of Sport has lost millions of viewers since Sue Barker stepped down as presenter and was replaced by Paddy in 2021 (Sue pictured with captains Matt Dawson and Phil Tufnell).

Paddy joined the Top Gear line-up in 2019 alongside presenters Chris Harris and Freddie Flintoff, however the show was axed following Freddie’s accident during filming in December 2022.

Every woman has a ‘light’ on and the man has to try to convince as many women as possible to leave their lights on before choosing which girl he likes.

When the boy found his soul mate, the couple had a date in the fictional location of Fernando Island in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife.

But the show was cancelled by bosses in February 2020, with ITV claiming the programme had “run its course” after airing for nine years.

A TV source said at the time: “ITV and Paddy have done every special you can get out of a dating show, so it was decided it was time for him to go.”