Patrick Joseph McGuinness (born 14 August 1973) is an English actor, comedian and television presenter. He rose to fame with the help of Peter Kay, who invited him to appear in his programmes That Peter Kay Thing, Phoenix Nights and Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere. He is best known for his roles within Channel 4, ITV and the BBC presenting game shows such as Take Me Out as well as, since 2019, being one of the three hosts of BBC's Top Gear. In 2021, he became the new host of Question of Sport. Early life and education McGuinness was born on 14 August 1973 in Farnworth, Lancashire, to Irish parents from County Tipperary, and attended Mount St Joseph High School. It was from his school days in Farnworth that McGuinness formed his close friendship with fellow Trotter comedian Peter Kay. Career Television McGuinness made his television debut in 1995 as a contestant for the show God's Gift. He also appeared in the second series of the Sky 1 show The Match. On 15 May 2006, McGuinness hosted Inside Wayne Rooney on Sky 1, a programme where he completed different tasks to see the difference between him and the professional footballer. McGuinness' other television work includes his own Chuck Stryker: The Unknown Stuntman on E4 which he wrote and starred in opposite Jonathan Wrather and a few other familiar faces. McGuinness presented Stars in Their Cars, a series for the Travel Channel in 2016. Rory and Paddy First airing on 13 August 2008, McGuinness co-starred in a television series with British comedian Rory McGrath, broadcast on Channel 5, Rory and Paddy's Great British Adventure. This was a four-part series in which McGuinness and McGrath embark on a nationwide road-trip, "on a mission to explore Britain's sporting heritage by probing the hidden life of its towns and villages". The series focuses on arcane sports, such as cheese rolling. A second series began on 20 September 2010 on Channel 5. Channel 4 On 29 November 2006, McGuinness guest hosted The Paul O'Grady Show while O'Grady took the week off. He presented the entertainment series Hotel GB in 2012, however the show was later cancelled. On 18 January 2013, McGuinness presented Paddy's TV Guide, consisting of eight episodes. In October 2014 McGuinness narrated the three-part charity series Stars at Your Service for Channel 4. In 2015, he presented the Channel 4 daytime game