Paddy McGuinness was raised by his mum Pat, who worked two jobs as a cleaner and a barmaid to put food on the table for her young son in the 1970s.
By 27, Paddy was making his first waves on TV, in Phoenix Nights and That Peter Kay Thing. But sadly for the Bolton fave, Pat would not see her son’s career on the box blossom as she passed away at 64 just as he was becoming famous.
In his memoir My Lifey, Tempting Fortune host Paddy reflected on losing his mother – and admitted it brought up “horrendous” memories.
Paddy McGuinness on loss of his mum Pat
Appearing on This Morning in 2021, Paddy noted how he had been in tears when writing about his mother’s passing.
He considered: “I think any kind of grief… unfortunately, in life, we’ve all got to go through it at some point. You never get over it but you kind of learn to cope with it, and it gets easier with time.
“So when you go revisiting those memories… it is horrendous. But I wanted to put it in the book as it is a part of my life. And I’m glad I did.”
Paddy went on: “At the end of it then, even though you have a good cry, you recall all the amazing things that used to happen.”
‘I miss that feeling of being unconditionally loved’
Last year, Paddy shared touching words about his mum as he marked Mother’s Day on social media.
He consoled anyone suffering from the bereavement of their mother – and opened up about missing her.
Paddy posted: “I miss so many things about my mum. Her wit, her smile, her soft face when she kissed my cheek. I even miss rubbing her aching feet after she’d been to work all day.
“Most of all I miss that feeling of being unconditionally loved. That no matter what she’d always be there to protect and love me.”
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Paddy continued: “To all you good, amazing Mums out there, thank you for giving us the best gift of all – life and love.”
He also wrote in the Instagram caption about how he could empathise with those who’ve also lost their mum.
“If your mum has passed away Mother’s Day is never easy,” Paddy added. “To those of you who’ve lost your mum I feel and share your heartache. It helps me seeing my children making their Mummy cards and giving her hugs, what a feeling that was. If your mum is still here then give her all the love she deserves, plus an extra hug from me. #mothersday #unconditionallove.”
Tempting Fortune is on Channel 4 on Sunday 23 March at 9pm.
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