Paddy McGuinness is best known for his stand-up career, hosting dating show Take Me Out and presenting on BBC Radio 2 – but the comedian has reminded fans of one of his lesser-mentioned jobs: a stint on the Coronation Street cobbles.
The 52-year-old has this week been hosting This Morning alongside Josie Gibson and on Wednesday (5 August), the pair were joined by soap expert Sharon Marshall for a peek at what’s coming up in Corrie, Emmerdale and EastEnders.
After a montage of clips, McGuinness said he recognised Coronation Street’s Sally Metcalfe, adding: “Yeah, that was my era of Corrie.”
“It was – when you were in there as a survivalist,” Marshall responded, which prompted a confused reaction from Gibson and an explanation from the comedian.
“I was in Corrie,” he said. “I did a week in Corrie. I played a survivalist called Dougie and I just did a week in the woods.”
open image in galleryMcGuinness appeared as Dougie Ryan in six episodes back in 2015. The character was introduced when a group of series regulars led by Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall) ventured out of Weatherfield for a camping trip.
The eccentric Dougie made quite the impression on his new pals, helping them put up their tent, before barbecuing a skinned rabbit and leading a foraging expedition.
McGuinness is far from the only unexpected face to pop up in the soap. In 2019, Lorraine Kelly hilariously played herself – in a storyline that saw Gail Platt (Helen Worth) accidentally shoot with a crossbow – while Sir Ian McKellen stopped by the Rovers Return back in 2005, making a handful of appearances as a novelist, Mel Hutchwright.
McGuinness left fans stunned earlier this year when he revealed a new physique after embarking on a weight loss journey – with some even accusing him of using artificial intelligence (AI) to alter his before photo.
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open image in galleryHe told Men’s Health UK: “A few people went, ‘Clearly you’ve AI’d the first picture’.
“‘F***ing hell, you’re supposed to AI the after picture, not the before!’ I thought, ‘Jesus, that’s how bad I looked’.”
McGuiness had taken on the 75 Hard challenge, which involves a gruelling daily regime with two 45-minute workouts, consuming 4.5 litres of water, following a chosen diet, abstaining from alcohol and reading 10 pages of a non-fiction book.
The Phoenix Nights star decided to overindulge before starting the challenge, explaining: “I thought, ‘I’m going to have a real blowout, hit rock bottom’.
“I don’t recommend it. Just for me personally, I thought, ‘I’ll see if I can get myself out of it’.”