My Lifey

Get the kettle on, the biscuits out and settle in for a belting read.

Let Paddy McGuinness take you back, far, far away from celebrity land, to a two-up, two-down terrace in 1970s Bolton, where he grew up. They were happy times, but money was tight. Paddy slept on a mattress he dragged in from the street, and at 17 he struggled severely with the stress of juggling a college course and two jobs to support his beloved mum.

But while cash may have been short, grit and wit were in over-supply, and this is the improbable true story of the lad who went from kipping in abandoned cars in Bolton to racing supercars on Top Gear, via laying concrete floors in prisons, a lively career in a leisure centre, a showbiz intervention by school pal Peter Kay and eye-popping adventures in the world of teledom.

There has been mischief and misadventure, joy and sorry, huge success and unexpected challenges. It’s a lifey well lived, and an unforgettable personal memoir written from the heart.

Paddy McGuinness is a comedian, actor and television presenter. School friend Peter Kay gave him his first acting break with roles in That Peter Kay Thing (2000), Phoenix Nights (2000-1)and Max and Paddy’s Road to Nowhere (2004). He’s now best known as presenter of Top Gear and A Question of Sport. He lives in Cheshire with his wife, Christine, and their three children.