Paddy McGuinness ‘lands second series of big-budget show’ after BBC axed A Question of Sport
By Laura Parkin For Mailonline[1]
Published: 00:26, 12 January 2024 | Updated: 00:29, 12 January 2024
Paddy McGuinness has reportedly ‘landed himself a second series of a big-budget show’ after the BBC axed A Question of Sport.
The television presenter, 50, has ‘set the wheels in motion’ for another instalment of Tempting Fortune, according to a new report.
It comes after the BBC announced that A Question Of Sport would be axed[2] after running for more than 50 years, blaming inflation[3] and dwindling ratings.
The show underwent its latest revamp in 2021, when Paddy was drafted in to front the quiz as a replacement for long-standing host Sue Barker.
A TV insider told The Sun[4]: ‘He’ll be breathing a deep sigh of relief that Tempting Fortune did well when it first aired and that it’s been deemed worthy of a sequel.’
Paddy McGuinness, 50, has reportedly ‘landed himself a second series of his big-budget show Tempting Fortune’ after the BBC axed A Question of Sport (pictured in October 2023)
They continued: ‘Paddy went from being on our screens regularly to virtually disappearing in 2023, with this show the one exception.
‘It remains to be seen where and when any second series of Tempting Fortune ends up airing.’
MailOnline had contacted Paddy’s representatives for comment.
Tempting Fortune, which first aired in March last year, saw 12 strangers give up all luxuries to endure a gruelling 18-day trek challenge across the toughest of terrain, to reach a GBP300k shared prize.
To take home the prize money, all they need to do is resist their desires for comfort, rejecting luxury addons to live off only basic rations and equipment.
If they choose they can pay for the likes of hot meals, warm showers and luxury bedding, but this comes at a hefty cost. If just one person decides to feed their desire, they are stealing from the overall prize pot.
Paddy admitted he was ‘absolutely devastated’ [5]when the BBC[6] cancelled A Question of Sport in December.
‘Oh my god,’ he said when prompted on the show’s cancellation by Gary Neville. ‘Absolutely devastated (it got cancelled).
‘It’s like in management, football, you go in, do your best, and that’s that. But telly, you can be involved with a show and it’ll run and run, or it’ll finish and you move on, that’s just the nature of the beast.’
It comes after the BBC announced that A Question Of Sport would be axed after running for more than 50 years, blaming inflation and dwindling ratings (pictured in 2021)
He added: ‘But when Question of Sport, when they stopped it – and honestly think whether it’s captains, me, whatever it is, whatever the reason, they say it’s budget stuff, but it’s all kind of stuff – I just think, it’s going to come back.
Upon his hiring two years ago, Paddy said that it had been ‘one of his favourite shows’ and that he had been ‘weaned on it from an early age’.
Speaking on This Morning Paddy admitted his ‘money has run out’ as he revealed his plans to return to stand up comedy for the first time in six years.
The presenter made the tour announcement following the news that the show he co-hosted, Top Gear, was being axed after Freddie Flintoff’s crash.
Paddy admitted that he has spent a fair chunk of his cash and he plans to ‘build it back up’ by going back on the comedy circuit.
When asked why he decided on the tour, Paddy said: ‘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’.’
Paddy announced the news of his tour on his Instagram page, telling fans: ‘I’ve been itching to tell you this!
‘After a six year break I’m finally back on Tour!!! Paddy McGuinness – Nearly There. All pre ticket sale links in my Bio.
See you in the New Year… live!!!!’
A TV insider told The Sun : ‘He’ll be breathing a deep sigh of relief that Tempting Fortune did well when it first aired and that it’s been deemed worthy of a sequel’ (pictured in December)
It comes after Paddy admitted his ‘money has run out’ as he revealed his plans to return to stand up comedy for the first time in six years
In November, Paddy thanked fans ‘for the love’ after the BBC said the hit series will be off air for the ‘foreseeable future’.
His ‘goodbye’ message came amid fears the programme’s insurance costs have become unsustainable following Flintoff’s crash.
The show’s [7]production has been halted since host Flintoff, 45, was taken to hospital in December 2022 after being badly hurt in an accident at the Top Gear test track at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey.
Following the crash, the BBC announced that it would pause production on the show, co-presented by Take Me Out host Paddy McGuinness[8] and automotive journalist Chris Harris, as it was felt it would be ‘inappropriate’, adding there would be a health and safety review.
References
- ^ Laura Parkin For Mailonline (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ announced that A Question Of Sport would be axed (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ inflation (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ The Sun (www.thesun.co.uk)
- ^ Paddy admitted he was ‘absolutely devastated’ (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ BBC (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Paddy McGuinness (www.dailymail.co.uk)