The day Top Gear came to Bolton and turned the town into a TV star

The streets were packed, the cameras were rolling as Paddy McGuinness and his co-presenters came to Bolton to film a special episode of the hit show.

On March 5, 2020, Top Gear presenters Paddy, Freddie Flintoff, and Chris Harris brought a touch of television glamour to Bolton as they filmed in and around the town.

The visit formed part of a 24-hour challenge in which the trio were tasked with spending a full day inside their cars, with Paddy behind the wheel of a Tesla, Freddie in a Volvo, and Chris driving a BMW.

Filming began in the early hours on Le Mans Crescent, drawing crowds of excited fans eager to catch a glimpse of the presenters in action.

Patrick O’Reilly, who waited on the corner of Queen Street to see the stars drive past, said: “I tried getting a photo before but this time I’ll record it.

“I like Freddie and Paddy but I am more of a fan of the old school Top Gear.

“But these lot are good, I’m just trying to catch them going past.”

The challenge saw the presenters tour various locations across Bolton, including the market, where Paddy was seen bartering from his car with a stallholder for blankets, pillows, and duvets.

Speaking to The Bolton News during a break in filming, Paddy said: “It’s amazing.

“This challenge we’re doing today, we’re spending 24 hours in our cars, so we’re not allowed out.

“We’re going on a tour of Bolton.

“So we’re driving onto Bolton Market, and we’re driving onto various places that I can’t tell you yet.

“But it’s good.

“I would love to take them in Bolton Museum because I remember as a kid going in there… and that mummified body in there.

“And it’s still in there.

“It’s one of them things where you go ‘oh, look at that there.’

“But yeah it will be good.

“They haven’t seen anywhere in the town yet.

“This is the start.”

The presenters were also spotted picking up lunch at Rigby’s Chippy in Deane and filming scenes near Bolton College.

Fans young and old gathered throughout the day, with two-year-old Quintin Smith posing for a photo with the stars and others queuing for autographs and selfies.

The excitement even reached nearby businesses, with staff at Adoption Now’s head office in Bolton managing to grab a selfie with the presenters during filming.

The visit did cause some disruption, with traffic building up around Le Mans Crescent as filming took place.

Despite the delays, the mood remained upbeat, with Mr McGuinness and Mr Flintoff taking time to sign autographs and greet fans.

One parent said: “I’ve just got an autograph for my son.

“He’ll be so happy.”

Paddy had teased the visit on Instagram the day before, joking: “We’ve been to Nepal, we’ve been to Peru, we’ve been to Borneo.

“But where are we tomorrow lads? Bolton!

“They are buzzing.

“The capital of the UK – come on!”