‘Phoenix Nights? I was too drunk to remember!’
Paddy McGuinness on his wild partying days, banter with the Top Gear lads and that giveaway Bolton accent
Fans of Take Me Out were gutted when news broke that the ITV dating show had been axed. But thankfully there’s no danger of host Paddy McGuinness, 46, disappearing from our screens any time soon.
In fact, he’s still Mr Saturday Night thanks to BBC1 game show
Catchpoint, where contestants have to answer questions while catching balls.
When he’s not busy filming that and Top
Gear, Paddy’s writing an autobiography about his rise to stardom. From the Phoenix Nights days to his life with wife Christine and their kids, twins Penelope and Leo, six, and Felicity, three, no stone will be left unturned.
Here, he tells us about turning down Corrie and how his accent lost him a US gig...
Catchpoint’s back. Last series you gave it a go. Did you try again?
Are we talking about catching the ball or hosting the show? [Laughs] I did try again. Sadly, no better. It’s that typical thing of when you’re watching at home it seems simple. But when you’re there, it’s tricky.
Why do you love hosting it?
With a lot of game shows the host stands behind the podium, reads questions and the rounds go on.
In Catchpoint, I’m moving around all the time. I’m definitely not a “standing behind a podium reading questions”kind of guy.
You’re also on Top Gear. Do you like to work solidly, or take time off?
The way my shows are spaced out on TV makes it seem like I’m working every day God sends, but it isn’t like that. I had three or four weeks off after I finished recording Catchpoint where I spent time writing because I’ve got a book out this year. Then I did more Top Gear. My ambition is to be busier than Stephen Mulhern!
Tell us a bit about the book...
The tricky part was guessing what people want to read about and what they’re interested in. I still haven’t come up with the answer.
Is writing a book hard?
I’ve been speaking into a dictaphone a lot as I’m pottering about the house. And in the next couple of weeks I’m going round visiting the cast of Phoenix Nights, because back in those days I was drinking and going out that much that I genuinely can’t remember anything!
When I speak to them, they go,“Do you not remember when you did that?” Then they tell me and I write it down.
Would you like to get the Phoenix Nights guys on for a celeb Catchpoint special?
Have you seen the lads out of Phoenix Nights? They’d collapse halfway through! If the game was about sitting down and drinking a pint,
I’d get them on. But other than that, I’ll miss them out. My Top Gear co-hosts, Freddie Flintoff and Chris Harris, would be all right.
Do the Top Gear lads like the show?
When we’re together the main thing we do is slag each other off constantly. So everything I’ve done, or anything they’ve done, we’ve never complimented each other on.
Have you ever turned down a big job?
I was offered Coronation Street about 10 or 15 years ago. It was a big part and a character that was in it for a long, long time – I won’t say which one. At the time I thought,“That’s a steady job and everyone knows it.”
But my agent said, “Don’t do it,”because that would be it. Back in those days it was really difficult to get a job outside of soaps. I’ve got to say that’s one of the best bits of advice I’ve ever had because I’m sitting here now talking to you and everything’s nice.
And you ended up being on the soap…
A couple of years back. I sat down with someone at ITV and said,“If I can develop the character and have a hand in writing it, I’ll do it.” We agreed on a character called Dougie. He was in it for a week. I liked that because I could have fun with it.
You have a very distinctive accent. Does that mean you’re always recognised?
Sometimes I’m out with the old cap on, looking at the floor, and people do come up to me and say,“If you hadn’t spoken, I wouldn’t have known who you were.” Top Gear is doing really well in America, but they subtitle it for the American audience, which is just bonkers! When Take Me Out first went to America, Fox wanted me to do it. But the executive producer said as soon as I walked into the room she could see them all going,“What’s he saying?”
‘I was offered a big part in Corrie years ago – I’m glad I turned it down’
Would you like to crack America?
That’s never appealed to me. I’m still ambitious, but going to the States isn’t at the top of my agenda. If a fantastic opportunity came along then I’d take it, but it doesn’t really keep me awake at night.