Love-split Paddy ditched by M&S from its food ads
MARKS & Spencer has axed Paddy McGuinness from its food adverts as the Top Gear presenter deals with the fallout from his marriage break-up.
The entertainer was signed up by the high street giant in 2018 alongside Amanda Holden, Emma Willis and Rochelle Humes to front a series of TV campaigns.
Now stars such as Dame Kelly Holmes and Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton Du Beke have been hired in the latest push for the store’s food range.
Mr McGuinness, 49, had been an ambassador for M&S Christmas and summer ad campaigns, in which he appeared with fellow TV star Emma Willis.
He was said to have pocketed a six-figure sum from the deal. He also featured in a number of online videos posted on the M&S website. In one he highlighted the store’s cold meats as his ideal food choice. ‘My favourite is the antipasti snacking platter – every bite tastes amazing,’ he said.
Commenting on the M&S decision, a source close to the star said: ‘Deals like this come to an end and new faces arrive.’
Mr McGuinness, who replaced
Sue Barker as the host of BBC quiz show A Question Of Sport last year, announced in July that he had split from 34-yearold wife Christine after 11 years of marriage. In a joint statement, the couple said they had separated ‘some time ago’ but would remain living together for the sake of their three children.
It followed reports that Mr McGuinness had been spotted kissing a television presenter and had sent messages to a different TV host on social media.
During his tenure as M&S ambassador, Mr McGuinness provoked comment after posting a series of Instagram pictures of his favourite ‘meals’, with one that included a bizarre combination of cocktail sausages, Hula Hoops and a Wagon Wheel biscuit.