He was back on our screens on as the new series of Top Gear roared into action.
But host Paddy McGuinness admits he is sick and tired of being targeted by internet trolls who “have an opinion on everything”.
The 49-year-old has received nastiness online for years. When he started fronting Top Gear in 2019, there were plenty of negative comments.
And the same thing happened when he replaced Sue Barker as host of Question of Sport in 2021.
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Even the breakdown of his marriage to wife Christine earlier this year has been a talking point.
(Image: Daily Mirror)
And Paddy doesn’t like the way people feel the need to dish out opinions all the time.
He says: “If you look on any kind of social media, everyone has got an opinion. Everyone had an opinion when we took over Top Gear, everyone had an opinion when Question of Sport changed.
“And back in the day, everyone had an opinion when the host changed on X Factor. These days, everyone has an opinion on Strictly.
“Everyone has got an opinion on everything. And the thing is these days, everyone likes to share that opinion.”
(Image: BBC/James Stack)
Paddy has been on both Instagram and Twitter for years, regularly putting up posts about his life for his two million followers.
It means he often gets a barrage of comments – some negative and some positive.
And he’s careful not to take any of it too seriously.
“A lot of people spend a lot of time on social media,” he says. “You can get praised, you can get slagged off. There is something for everyone.
“But if you buy into it too much, it’s not good. My Top Gear co-host Freddie Flintoff retired before social media took off.
(Image: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
“But I’m pretty sure when he was playing cricket things would have been different for him if it had been around. Any sports person will be bombarded with stuff on Twitter. It’s the way of the world.
“We’re in this world where pretty much most things on Twitter can be misconstrued into something negative. .I’m not just on about telly, that goes for anything.”
Bolton-born Paddy has been working in telly since the late 90s and shot to fame on Peter Kay’s series Phoenix Nights in 2000.
He is convinced that helps him deal with the pitfalls of social media when others celebs let it get to them.
Paddy says: “Luckily for me, I’ve been doing this job for over 20 years. So I was involved in TV before social media.
“I’ve seen it all happen and I’m aware of it. So I don’t buy into it much to be honest.”
(Image: BBC/Lee Brimble)
Paddy is up for having chats with fans online, but only if everything is kept respectful.
He adds: “I like to surround myself with people who I can have a bit of dialogue with and a conversation.
“I want to listen to people’s thoughts and opinions if they’re done in the right way. Other than that, it’s just social media.”
At the moment he’s one of the busiest stars on the box. On Saturdays he’s hosting wacky singing game show I Can See Your Voice and on Sundays he’s back with Top Gear alongside pal Freddie and Chris Harris.
Both shows are designed to give viewers a giggle.
Paddy says: “My favourite part of I Can See Your Voice is the lip syncing. I get so lost in the music and start dancing. I love the party vibe!
“With Top Gear, I think essentially, it has got a bit of something for everyone. It’s got petrolhead bits in there of course, but it’s also got a lot of entertainment as well. And it’s great escapism on a Sunday night.”
Watch I Can See Your Voice at 9.10pm on Saturday on BBC One and Top Gear at 8pm on Sunday on BBC One.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
