Tempting Fortune: Interview with Paddy McGuinness | Channel 4
13 March 2025
We sat down with Paddy McGuinness in Malaysia who told us about what we can expect on the new series of Tempting Fortune, what it was like filming in Malaysia and some of the controversial decisions made by some of the Fortune Seekers…
Tempting Fortune starts Sunday 16 March at 9pm - stream or watch live on Channel 4.
Paddy – you’re back for a second series, how thrilled are you to be back filming Tempting Fortune?
I am really excited, but more so to be doing it in Langkawi. The difference here to doing it in South Africa is that it has all the very dramatic scenery and all the wildlife, but Langkawi is gorgeous to look at. However, it’s so hot here. It’s a different kind of heat. It’s like being in a steam oven constantly. Going through that in the jungle, people will be looking at taking the temptations! I can tell you that!Your role is even bigger than last year, tell us how you’ll be helping the cast navigate the series.
It is totally different to series one. I’m a lot more around and about the cast now. I was there watching them throughout the journey – seeing them struggle in the intense and totally overwhelming conditions and there waiting to entice them with some of the biggest temptations. This time I could see exactly what is going on. It makes it better for me.So the new series is set in the stunning location of Langkawi, Malaysia. What is it like here?
When you first get off the plane in Langkawi, it’s a real culture shock. If you go to Majorca and get off the plane, you say ‘oh it’s hot’. But here…here there are levels to the heat. I got off the plane and thought ‘I don’t know how I’m going to cope here. Once you get acclimatised to it and figure out how to keep cool, you get into it. But it’s absolutely stunning. When you’re out and about in the jungle, there are so many sights and sounds. It’s such a treat for the fortune seekers too.How does this location compare to South Africa? IS it more intense?
It’s a different heat here. You hear about dry and wet heat. It’s a very wet heat in Langkawi. South Africa was a dry heat. Here, as soon as you move, your clothes are wet through – you’re just sweating. When you breath in the air, you feel the moisture. These are extreme conditions to be stuck in the jungle in for 18 days.Tell us about series two of Tempting Fortune, what can viewers expect from this second series?
Drama. They can expect a lot of drama. A lot of plot twists. Weirdly even though we were out before The Traitors, I find some of the stuff on Traitors similar to what we are doing. There’s something that happens in this series where one of the fortune seekers plays a certain type of game and then, he or she – not giving anything away – but half way through, everything spins and they go absolutely plot twist vibes.The temptations are bigger and better than ever before – can you give us a hint as to some of them?
Some of the temptations we’ve built this time, compared to South Africa are next level. Even me on a cynical level who has worked in telly for donkey’s years and I’ve seen everything – it made even me stop and go ‘wow – look at that’. Even better, some of the stuff they’ve built looks amazing but once it is finished with and taken down, everything is put back into the local communities and recycled. It’s a win-win.Which is your favourite? Have you had a go at any of them?
It would be the swimming pool / private pool temptation. To see a private pool in the middle of the jungle is really impressive.What is your favourite thing about Tempting Fortune? What made you come back for a second series?
I think for me, in telly these days, it’s quite brutal now. If a series doesn’t hit the ground running straight away, it is gone. But this series was just a hit show from the off and I was completely struck by how split social media became between those who thought the cast should live in the moment vs those who thought they should save the temptations. I just knew that we could ramp up the tension in a second series – and that we have!Out of all the temptations on the series, what is the one temptation that would make you cave and spend some of the money?
It would be the swimming pool, or because the heat is so brutal here, it would be sitting in the air conditioning pod for 20 minutes. The one thing about these fortune seekers this series that totally freaked me out was one of the treks that they did, where they were going through boggy marshes and rivers. The locals in the area call this specific route and section ‘leech city’. The fortune seekers – one of them had a leech on their willy! Not a good look! They were all still finding leeches on them throughout the day!Have you attempted any of the treks that the cast members have to go through? If not, how do you think you’d fare?
Please! Please! I have done the treks…but I was in a vehicle. So not the same thing. Some of the stuff out here, whether you take the temptation or not, it’s all once in a lifetime stuff. The camp is split. You have the people who are sort of being stringent and don’t want to spend money, but you have others that are saying ‘I’m in the jungle once in Langkawi and there’s an English pub and I can go have a pint and some cheesy chips – I’m going for it’. They are they crazy experiences that people are here for too.The conditions in Malaysia are intense – the heat, the small rations of food and the humidity – what do you think the biggest challenge is for the cast members?
The heat! The cast are constantly sweating and hot. Their clothes are wet through. So they’re exhausted and sweating – and then suddenly we hit them with a temptation like a British pub in the middle of the jungle serving cold beer. I think having their willpower pushed that hard was probably their biggest test.Tell us about some of the cast – are there any cast members to watch out for?
Straight away from episode one – you’re looking at Imani and think ‘oh hello, is she going to be the one that upsets everyone?’ But instantly that dynamic quickly shifts. We have a fortune seeker called Vicky who in her real life is a hostage negotiator so I’ll be interested to see how she copes and if she has any psychological tricks she’ll play on the team. Nathaniel – he’s like an alpha male fitness instructor. I don’t know how this is going to affect him without his protein powders and daily calories. Trish and Ted who are our older members – I think how are they going to cope with this? It’s so strenuous. But you can also see where there will be a lot of drama, but also see where there is room for bonding.Have there been any major fall outs? Any big dramas? Any funny moments?
Plenty of drama. I’ve found Sam, who is resolute and made her mind up on how she wants to do this – but not taking any temptations – she’s had a few clashes with the people who have taken temptations. Everyone has had bickering moments, but Sam has gone loggerheads with people.What would your ideal temptation be? What would sway you?
It’s really boring, I’m one of those people and if I’d been out trekking for a few days and they said ‘there’s a shower with all your shower gels and a stack of clean, dry clothes.’ I‘m taking it. Keep the pub, keep the Chinese restaurant, keep the super yachts. I want the shower and clean clothes.Of course, we can’t be in Malaysia without asking you about the food – what have you been enjoying whilst you’ve been here?
Chris and Freddy would back me up, but when I first started Top Gear, I was quite sheltered and blinkered. I hadn’t travelled a lot and terrified of flying, so my trying of different foods was me holidays in Portugal. So when Top Gear came a long and I was introduced to different cultures and foods, I’d had my blind fold taken off. I’ll try everything now. Being out in Malaysia, I’m quite a coward when it comes to hot food – but here I’ve found it to be the right level of spice, so you get the warmth but also the flavours. One of the specialities here is Chicken Satay, which we’ve all had. But here, it’s something else. I can’t even tell you how good it is. When you have it made locally, it’s a different gravy. I even had it on the plane coming over – it was the best I’ve ever had in my life.- Finally, in a few words, tell us why viewers should tune into this new series of Tempting Fortune?
It has everything you want as a viewer. It has the characters, the drama and the water cooler moments. It is cram packed full of them. It has something for everyone, truly.