Paddy McGuinness breaks silence on Top Gear axe as he shares statement following BBC decision
Freddie Flintoff, Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris fronted Top Gear
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Top Gear host Paddy McGuinness has thanked fans in a short Instagram post following the BBC's decision to shelve the motoring show for the "foreseeable future".
Alongside Chris Harris and Freddie Flintoff, the trio had been the face of the motoring show since 2018 until the latter's horror crash on set halted filming.
Flintoff's crash raised a number of questions about the safety of the BBC motoring show and the corporation has now decided it's time to axe the programme for the time being.
A spokesperson for the BBC said of the decision: "Given the exceptional circumstances, the BBC has decided to rest the UK show for the foreseeable future.
"The BBC remains committed to Freddie, Chris [Harris] and Paddy [McGuinness] who have been at the heart of the show’s renaissance since 2019, and we’re excited about new projects being developed with each of them.
“We will have more to say in the near future on this. We know resting the show will be disappointing news for fans, but it is the right thing to do. All other Top Gear activity remains unaffected by this hiatus including international formats, digital, magazines and licensing.”
A number of Top Gear stars past and present have since addressed the Beeb's decision - including James May - and now, McGuinness has shared his thoughts.
Andrew Flintoff is said to have received 9million settlement from the BBC after the crash
PATaking to Instagram, the former Take Me Out host shared a number of snaps of the presenting trio from the numerous locations where they shot the show.
From promo shots to behind-the-scenes snaps, McGuinness included several photos as he reflected on his time on the show.
He accompanied the pictures with a caption that read: "We were always going to be b******s but we were your b******s.
"Thanks for all the love over the years folks, it was very much appreciated. #TopGear,," McGuinness signed off to his two million followers.
It didn't take long for a number of his followers and Top Gear fans to share their reactions to the show's axe and the presenter's farewell statement.
"Best trio since Clarkson, may and the hamster," one fan commented on the post.
And a second added to the praise: "They can’t end it FFS that’s a disaster, you three made it great again."
Elsewhere, a third also weighed in: "Love all you guys. Your gonna be missed. At least Flintoff is alive. That's all that matters but still...... I'd be happy just to watch you three banter about cars with no crazy s**t tbh. Hopefully you'll all be back sooner rather than later."
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A fourth commented: "We all love you guys. You were amazing," followed by a series of love heart emojis. (sic)
The decision to shelve Top Gear comes almost a year after Flintoff's horror crash that left him with broken ribs and facial injuries.
The former cricketer returned to the limelight in the summer alongside the England cricket team and has since announced a return to work.
Flintoff is now the new coach of The Hundred cricket team Northern Superchargers after reaching a reported £9million compensation package with the Beeb following the crash.
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