Ever since the loss of Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson, and James May, the popular British car show, Top Gear has struggled to capture the same level of success that it had been accustomed to.
With BBC making the decision to change the hosts of the show once again for the new season, with only Chris Harris being kept on the books, with Freddie Flintoff and Paddy McGuinness being brought in to join the show.
Whilst the two men are incredibly popular in the UK, many outside of the country aren't aware of as much about the two men, so within this article, we will look at 10 things you didn't know about the two newbies.
10 Freddie Flintoff's Boxing Career
The reason that Freddie Flintoff broke into stardom was through his cricket career, with Flintoff being one of England's greatest ever to play the sport, but that isn't the only sport that he has partaken in.
After Freddie retired from cricket he made it clear that he wasn't finished competing just yet as he announced he would be stepping into the world of professional boxing, where he fought in 2012.
Whilst Flintoff only ended up having one fight in his very short boxing career, that fight was won by Flintoff, making him undefeated in his career.
9 Paddy Appeared On Coronation Street
Paddy McGuinness has typically spent the majority of his career in comedy shows or touring around the country doing live shows, however, he did briefly have a stint in the legendary soap opera, Coronation Street.
McGuinness played a Bear Grylls wannabe called Dougie Ryan back in 2015 and became an immediate hit amongst fans, with the show being an institution in the UK as one of the most popular programs each day.
However, for those that loved McGuinness in the role, he has confirmed that there are no plans for him to make a return anytime soon.
8 Freddie Cheated In I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here
I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here is an incredibly popular reality show that features many different celebrities locked into a camp in the jungle, eating rations and having to compete in trials to get food for the camp.
Freddie Flintoff was part of the Australian version of the show in 2015 and did so well that he actually won the show due to the public vote, however, he admitted years later that he actually cheated on the show.
In the show smoking isn't shown on television, so Flintoff pretended he was a smoker so he could go off the camera and have time to himself, where he found a medical hut and ended up stealing clean water five times a day, ensuring he was always hydrated and therefore didn't suffer as much as the rest.
7 Paddy Hosts Take Me Out
Paddy McGuinness might seem to be quite macho on Top Gear where he is often fully involved in all the challenges, but he is also the host of another popular TV show in the UK called Take Me Out.
This is a long-running dating show where one single guy attempts to secure a date with one of 30 single women who are in the TV studio, with the guy revealing more about themselves as the women can turn their lights off.
The show is jam-packed with funny and awkward moments and whilst it has nothing to do with cars, McGuinness is the real highlight and really does a great job showing his hosting abilities.
6 Freddie's Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records are incredibly impressive, with some of the achievements that people have managed to get are unbelievable, however, there are also some absolutely ridiculous ones.
Nowadays, celebrities attempting to get different records isn't anything out of the ordinary, with companies often pushing for it to happen, and Andrew Flintoff is no different, holding 14 Guinness World Records.
Flintoff attempted them all in aid of Sport Relief and has a wild range of achievements to his name from; most party poppers popped in one minute (52), to most peas eaten with a cocktail stick in 30 seconds (38).
5 Paddy's Family Difficulties
Not everything in life is easy, no matter how much fame and fortune you have and sadly for Paddy McGuinness, his twin children were both diagnosed with Autism, which makes life much more difficult for him and his family.
However, rather than seeing it as a negative or staying private about it, Paddy made the decision to talk about it very openly in the public, helping others in the same position to show there is plenty of positives.
Whilst things can be tough for him and his family, Paddy has made the best of the situation and does a great job in helping to promote Autism using his platform.
4 Flintoff's Drunken Prime Minister Meeting
In 2005, England's cricket team won The Ashes, with Freddie Flintoff playing a major part in the team's success, and as expected after a major win like that, the England cricket team decided to get incredibly drunk.
Unfortunately for the team, the day after they were expected to meet the Prime Minister of England, Tony Blair at 10 Downing Street and as you can see in the image above, the group weren't feeling at their best.
Flintoff was still drunk and admitted that he ended up having a wee in the garden of the Prime Minister and even snuck into his office, with the security guard having to remove him.
3 Paddy's Break Came Through Peter Kay
Nowadays, Paddy McGuinness is a well-known comedian and actor who has broken out on his own right and is beloved by the public, however, he owes all of that success and fame to one man, Peter Kay.
Whilst Kay has got nothing to do with Top Gear right now, he is the man who first gave Paddy McGuinness his break in the business by being involved in the incredibly popular and hilarious, Phoenix Nights.
Paddy played the cheeky nightclub bouncer in the show and was one of the main characters which allowed him to become a bigger name.
2 Freddie's Battle With Depression
On Top Gear, the hosts are always shown in comedic fashions, driving some of the best cars in the world as they appear to be incredibly happy at all times, but the reality of the situation is that isn't always the case.
Whilst many celebrities often don't open up about their true feelings, however, Freddie Flintoff opened up in an interview with GQ about how he battled with depression and his feelings about that difficult time.
He told GQ in 2017: “Through talking about it and getting help, I know how to deal with it. It’s not particularly pleasant but I don’t feel the urge to drink [alcohol]and I don’t feel the urge to do something to try to change my state of mind. I’m actually quite comfortable with it.”
1 Paddy Crashed His Dad's Car
You would think that any host of Top Gear would be an incredible driver who hasn't had any issues in their past, however, that isn't the case for Paddy McGuinness who actually crashed one of the first cars he ever drove.
Whilst McGuinness learnt how to drive in a Hillman Avenger, he admitted that he ended up learning in his Dad's Metro, however, he ended up crashing the car, rear-ending the one in front.
Why did he crash it you ask? Well, McGuinness was trying to overtake his friend, giving him the Vs instead of looking on the road as he ended up in an accident for a car he didn't own.