Patrick Joseph McGuinness was born on 14 August 1973 in Farnworth, Lancashire, England. He was raised by his mother after his parents separated; his father, Joe McGuinness, is of Irish descent from County Tipperary. Growing up in a working-class household, Paddy attended Mount St Joseph High School in Farnworth, where he formed a lasting friendship with fellow Bolton comedian Peter Kay. He did not attend university.

Paddy first appeared on television in 1995 as a contestant on the dating show God’s Gift (hosted by Davina McCall). His big break came through Peter Kay, who invited him to appear in That Peter Kay Thing (2000), the sitcom Phoenix Nights (2000–2001), and the beloved spin-off Max and Paddy’s Road to Nowhere (2004), in which he co-starred and co-wrote. He built his stand-up profile with UK-wide tours from 2005 onwards.

Paddy became a primetime fixture when he took over as host of ITV’s dating show Take Me Out in 2010, holding the role for nine series until 2019. His catchphrase “No likey, no lighty” entered British popular culture. He joined BBC One’s Top Gear in 2019 alongside Freddie Flintoff and Chris Harris, and the show moved to BBC One. After the 2022 Flintoff crash led to the show’s cancellation, Paddy has continued presenting. He succeeded Sue Barker as host of A Question of Sport (BBC, 2021–2023) and has hosted BBC Radio 2’s Sunday lunchtime show since April 2024.

Paddy lives in Cheshire. His divorce from Christine McGuinness was finalised in 2024. He co-parents their three autistic children and is a passionate autism advocate. He is currently single, with denied rumours of a relationship with Inside the Factory co-host Cherry Healey.