Paddy McGuinness hosts Catchpoint, the crazy new gameshow where players needs brains... and balls! And, as Paddy reveals, it's a lot harder than it looks...
Paddy McGuinness on his bonkers new BBC1 gameshow Catchpoint where contestants must catch balls to win…
How would you describe Catchpoint?
"It's so simple, it's just answering questions and catching balls! Answers to each question appear on 10 big screens on the back wall of the Catch Zone and there are trapdoors above each screen. The trapdoor above the correct answer drops a ball and the contestant has to catch it! The good thing about this game is, even if you get a question wrong and you're not stood under the right answer, as long as you catch the ball you can still win the money."
Have you had a go at catching the balls?
"The first time I did it, I walked on set thinking I was Charlie Big Time. I said: 'Go on, let one go'… and I totally missed it! That's when I realised it's more difficult than it looks! During filming, balls would randomly start dropping everywhere and I was like: 'Can someone warn me that that’s gonna happen?!' But I like that this show has a bit of a chaotic element."
Do you get to have fun with the contestants?
"Yes. I like any show where, as a host, I can be a bit 'looser', like I am on Take Me Out, where I get some free reign to wander about, have a laugh chatting to the contestants and kinda go ‘off piste’. Working with the public, I like the unpredictability of not knowing what someone’s gonna say."
Do you have a catchphrase on this show, like Take Me Out's 'No Likey, No Lighty'?
"Well, the show's called Catchpoint and catching the ball is basically the point. The title says it all, so I don't need a catchphrase! But I take it as a real compliment when I hear people mention ‘Fernando’s’ or ‘No Likey, No Lighty’ as it shows that Take Me Out has become part of people's culture."
What's your favourite ever gameshow?
"I don't think it's about the actual gameshows themselves, it's about where you were in your life when you were watching them. So, when I was a kid, I used to love watching Larry Grayson do The Generation Game because my mum really liked it. I’d sit and watch it with her and we’d both be laughing."
You're co-hosting the next Top Gear and you're the new team captain on Celebrity Juice. Do you still get nervous before filming any TV show?
"I get nervous before everything I do. I always have done. I think it's good to be nervous, otherwise you can get complacent. Filming these shows can get a bit manic so, before every show, I try and have five minutes on my own to gather my thoughts – then out I go!"
Catchpoint starts on Saturday March 23 at 6.50pm on BBC1.
