Freddie Flintoff filmed pilot to host Australia’s Take Me Out – but it was a total flop, says pal Paddy McGuinness

PADDY McGuinness’ Top Gear co-host Freddie Flintoff filmed a pilot to host the Australian version of his show Take Me Out – but it was a total flop.

The original host turned it down to look after his children he has with wife Christine, who have all been diagnosed with autism.

So the cricketer filmed an episode for the Down Under take on the dating show but was not asked back.

Ribbing his mate, Paddy said: “When we had the autism diagnosis we did not tell people for a while as we were dealing with it ourselves. Even now every job I think about I think about the children. 

“About a year ago I got asked to do Take Me Out in Australia and obviously I would be there for two or three months and anyone else would say, ‘That is fantastic,’ but I was like, ‘I can't do it’.

“If it weren’t for the kids…anyway Flintoff did the pilot. 

“It was hilarious and it did not get commissioned obviously. 

“He was like, ‘Hello there, welcome to Take Me Out’.  ‘Erm, a little bit more flow there Fred’.”  

Paddy hosted the show from 2010 for nine years with ITV announcing they were axing it in 2020.

Paddy told the Parenting Hell podcast: “So it went to America and there were talks about doing it over there, again some people have that ambition to go to America and do a career over there but I have always thought, ‘I am comfortable.

"I am happy enough at home,’ but the kids took me out of that mindset of going off and doing different things here there and everywhere.”