Paddy McGuinness expressed his frustration during a BBC Radio 2 broadcast when he realized listeners were overwhelmingly sending messages of support to Vernon Kay, even though McGuinness was filling in for Kay's show. McGuinness, who was stepping in while Kay's wife was attending an MBE ceremony, revealed this pattern while reading out listener messages.
He specifically called the situation a "disgrace" after a listener named Janette, after greeting McGuinness, then mentioned contributing to Sara Cox's Great Northern Marathon Challenge. The context of the listener messages was a 135-mile challenge undertaken by Sara Cox across five days to raise money for charity.
While McGuinness himself had previously completed a challenge for Children in Need, he was displeased that most messages were directed towards Vernon, despite his absence. Cox had previously mentioned receiving training advice from both Kay, who encouraged her to run hills, and McGuinness, who advised her to "block out all the noise." McGuinness is also scheduled to co-host Children in Need alongside other presenters, including Vernon Kay.
McGuinness has previously spoken about his motivation for supporting the charity, citing his awareness as a father of the preciousness of childhood. Last year, his own fundraising efforts for the charity generated a significant amount of money.
