Presenter Paddy McGuinness handed £250,000 to stay at the BBC after Top Gear and Question Of Sport were taken off air

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As a dedicated follower of the entertainment industry, I must say that it’s quite intriguing to see the lengths some corporations will go to keep their talent in-house. The case of Paddy McGuinness and the BBC is a perfect example of this. It seems that even after the axing of his shows, they were still willing to pay him a considerable sum, presumably as a sort of “we miss you already” gesture.

It’s said that high-ups at the BBC went to great lengths to ensure presenter Paddy McGuinness didn’t join ITV, offering him a substantial financial agreement, despite the shows he was part of having been canceled.

Inside sources at the Corporation revealed to The Mail on Sunday that the presenter received approximately £250,000 in pay even though Top Gear and Question Of Sport were not being broadcasted.

Another report suggests that the production team was assigned to develop fresh ideas for McGuinness, who they enticed away from ITV in 2018 to host the auto show Top Gear.

It was mentioned that Paddy was highly valued by BBC Studios, and despite canceling both of his shows, they still wished to maintain a connection with him as part of their ‘family’.

He also made a good chunk of change from it, and some employees were tasked with creating a fantastic new project for him.)

BBC Studios, the commercial branch of the BBC, chose not to respond to allegations concerning McGuinness. However, his legal representatives confirmed that there is no ongoing contract or representation (retainer) with him.

In 2021, he was announced as the new host of Question Of Sport, replacing Sue Barker. 

Despite the show garnering its poorest ratings ever, it was canceled in December 2023. McGuinness’s stint on Top Gear ended a year earlier, in December 2022, after an accident involving his co-presenter Freddie Flintoff during filming.

Last year, it was confirmed the show won’t return for the foreseeable future.

In my own journey with the BBC, I can confidently say that it was skillfully orchestrated by Sumi Connock, the creative director of formats at BBC Studios. She played an instrumental role in championing me during my tenure at ITV, where she cheered me on as the host of the popular dating show, Take Me Out.

Following his departure from ITV in 2017 and subsequent move to the BBC, Connock assumed charge of Top Gear. Then, a year after, McGuinness, aged 51, joined the program.

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2024-10-13 04:03