Paddy McGuinness introduces Question of Sport guests
Paddy McGuinness has been brutally mocked online after his second show was shelved within days. The presenter had fronted Question Of Sport since 2021 when he took over from Sue Barker, but yesterday the BBC announced it had benched the long-running quiz after a 50-year run.
The 50-year-old had previously been drafted in to host Top Gear, taking over from Matt LeBlanc in 2019. However, the broadcaster confirmed last month the motoring favourite would not be returning to TV “for the foreseeable future”.
It came following the 2022 crash involving Paddy’s co-host Freddie Flintoff at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey. X, formerly Twitter, has now been inundated with comments about the decisions, quipping about the “coincidence” that they were both presented by the father-of-three.
@BulletBlueSky claimed: “A Question Of Sport is killed off after the BBC replaces Sue Barker with useless Paddy McGuinness. “Top Gear is killed off after the BBC makes Paddy McGuiness a presenter. Coincidence?
“The BBC needs to stop giving talentless D-list ‘celebs’ important roles on TV and radio.” @DarknessFish stated: “Pretty impressive that Paddy McGuiness has managed to kill off Top Gear and A Question of Sport. Any chance of him joining the cast of Mrs Brown’s Boys?”
READ MORE A Question of Sport axed after 50 years on the BBC
Third user @archer_rs shared: “I’m not sure introducing Paddy McGuinness as the host of a beloved long-running TV series is the secret to continuing success the BBC thinks it is.”
Another viewer @sharonriley1978 tweeted: “Top Gear axed and now Question Of Sport and Paddy McGuiness being the connection – just saying.”
A fifth, @Christopher_T42, claimed the news was “unsurprising” and that Paddy had been “totally wrong” for the job, which Sue had been doing since 1997.
“It should always be someone from a sporting background,” they shared.
@tudor_lancs added: “Get Paddy McGuiness on Question Time, maybe they’ll axe that then.”
Don’t miss…
Tom Cruise receives warning after rumours he’s ‘dating’ Russian oligarch ex-wife[UPDATE]
I’m A Celebrity’s Fred Sirieix’s heartbreaking loss hours after UK return[INSIGHT]
Layton Williams slammed as a ‘limelight hogger’ by Esther Rantzen[LATEST]
- Support fearless journalism
- Read The Daily Express online, advert free
- Get super-fast page loading
Meanwhile, others shared their sadness at the announcement. @iamsanjaypatel said it was a “sad day”.
Welsh rugby star John Devereux said: “Sad to see the end of Question Of Sport on BBC. I made one appearance many years ago and Team Botham took the honours. I guess they changed the format a lot and it lost its way a little.”
A BBC spokesman said: “Due to inflation and funding challenges, difficult decisions have to be made, therefore Question of Sport is currently not in production at the moment.”
The national broadcaster cited “value for money” for BBC licence fee payers, which has seen the network reshuffle its squad of shows to prioritise high-impact content that drives viewers to BBC iPlayer.
A BBC source advised that this is not the final whistle for the programme, which first aired in 1970.
The suspension of A Question of Sport comes after Sue was dropped as a presenter, alongside long-running team captains Matt Dawson and Phil Tufnell.
Source: Read Full Article