BBC Question of Sport stars Sam Quek and Paddy McGuinness reunite months after show axe
EXCLUSIVE: Question of Sport team captain Sam Quek admitted she is expecting "grief" when she reunites with Paddy McGuinness in a new opportunity away from the shelved BBC show.
Question of Sport stars Sam Quek and Paddy McGuinness will reunite in a few weeks when they take part in Soccer Aid for UNICEF. The match takes place on Sunday, June 9, at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge stadium and the duo will join the likes of Robbie Williams, Usain Bolt and Bobby Brazier on the pitch.
Sam and Paddy will play for the England team, which has been defeated by the World XI side five years in a row.
Announcing the exciting opportunity, Sam, 35, tells Express.co.uk: "As a football fan, I would never pass up on this opportunity so I was delighted to be asked.
"I have watched it over the years since it started so I am so excited, and I’m taking it quite seriously!"
The Olympic gold medalist is also looking forward to reuniting with Paddy, whom she starred on Question of Sport with from 2021 until 2023.
She adds: "I played football with Paddy before, I did a 12-hour football match with him a few years ago so I know what he’s about, but I am looking forward to catching up with him. It’ll be nice to see a familiar face and we get on great.
"I think it will help [that we know each other], he isn’t going to be shy in giving me grief if I'm not pulling my weight and I’ve got a lot of time for that, I need people to say, ‘Come on, Sam!’"
Paddy, Sam and rugby player Ugo Monye joined the revamped Question of Sport as replacements for host Sue Barker and team captains Phil Tufnell and Matt Dawson.
The new trio filmed two series before the BBC decided to shelve the series in December 2023, following 50 years on air.
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A BBC spokesperson said "difficult decisions" had been necessary and production on the show had stopped. However, they insisted it was "not the final whistle" and the programme could come back in the future.
Reflecting on her time on the show, Sam said: “Being a Question Of Sport captain was my dream job and I loved every minute of it.
"Being a big sports fan and then to have the best athletes come onto the show and enjoy themselves was great, so I will miss all of it - all of the people and the crew."
Ahead of the big match - which will air on ITV - Sam will get stuck into some football training now her hockey season is complete.
Sam has plenty of experience in the sport having grown up with football-mad brothers and joining a boys' team as a child. Aged 12, she played for Tranmere Girls but gave up the sport five years later when she decided to fully commit to hockey.
Nevertheless, football has always remained a part of her life. She was even approached by Liverpool manager Vicky Jepson during her leadership from 2018 until 2021. The coach invited Sam to go for a trial but she never took her up on the opportunity due to her presenting commitments.
The I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! semi-finalist continued: “I’d love the opportunity but where I’m up to in my life and my career I don’t think I could commit [to football] seriously. I’ve always said if I was five years younger, maybe after retiring from hockey, I would have given football a go.
"I've been on the pitch and having people supporting you, there's no feeling like it. So to get that opportunity again with Soccer Aid, I feel extremely lucky and nervous, but really excited."
Soccer Aid for UNICEF 2024 takes place on Sunday 9th June at Stamford Bridge, London. Buy your tickets at socceraid.org.uk/tickets
