Skip to main contentSkip to footer

BBC show branded 'brilliant' by fans axed after just 1 series


Despite raking in millions of views during its pilot episode, Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris' brilliant' BBC show has been brutally axed after just one season.


TX DATE:29-09-2024,TX WEEK:40,EMBARGOED UNTIL:24-09-2024,DESCRIPTION:Chris and Paddy with their electric vehicle at Vitznau Harbour,COPYRIGHT:BBC Studios,CREDIT LINE:BBC/BBC Studios© CREDIT LINE:BBC/BBC Studios
August 19, 2025
Share this:

It appears that Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris's show, Road Tripping, won't be renewed for another series despite enjoying relative success. 

Paddy and Chris: Road Tripping saw the two former Top Gear presenters tackle their burgeoning mid-life crises as they throttled around Europe in Volvos, Volkswagens and more. 

The pair travelled to Sweden for the show's pilot episode. Viewers followed the duo as they faced their fears of ageing and attempted to learn if they could learn the secret to getting older through their travels across Europe.

Now, The Sun reports the show, which was labelled 'brilliant' by fans, hasn't been renewed for a second series. This is despite earning decent ratings, with 3.2 million tuning in for the first episode alone in September last year. 

TX DATE:29-09-2024,TX WEEK:40,EMBARGOED UNTIL:24-09-2024,DESCRIPTION:Paddy and Chris in front of Varberg Sauna where they joined a group of retired, Swedish sauna-goers.,COPYRIGHT:BBC Studios,CREDIT LINE:BBC/BBC Studios© BBC/BBC Studios
Despite earning decent ratings for the pilot episode, the show will not be renewed for a second series

"Whilst viewers can enjoy all episodes of Road Tripping on BBC iPlayer now, there are currently no plans for any new episodes at the moment," a BBC spokesperson confirmed to HELLO!.

HELLO! also understands that despite there being no plans to renew the show, they're still very open to working with Chris and Paddy in the future. 

Freddie Flintoff's Top Gear accident 

Road Tripping was the first show Paddy and Chris appeared in together since their former Top Gear co-host and England cricketer Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff, 47, was injured in an accident while filming the show at Dunsfold Aerodrome in December 2022. 

Shortly after, the show was rested for the "foreseeable future" by the BBC. Speaking in his documentary, he says he was driving at around 40-45mph when one of the wheels lifted off the ground, causing the accident. 

Paddy McGuinness, Chris Harris and Jamie Redkanpp in front of a sports car© Alamy Stock Photo
Freddie earned a massive payout from Top Gear

The crash halted the new series and led to the show's cancellation and alongside an apology to the sports star, Freddie reportedly received a £9 million payout from the BBC. The compensation was given to him to account for two years' worth of lost earnings. 

In a heartbreaking moment of his series, Freddie confessed: "I didn't think I had it in me to get through. This sounds awful: part of me wishes I'd been killed. Part of me thinks, 'I wish I had died'. I didn't want to kill myself. I don't want to mistake the two things. But I was thinking, 'This would have been so much easier.'"

WATCH: Flintoff trailer shows glimpse of horror crash

More TV and Film
See more