Paddy McGuinness celebrates former stunt rider Eddie Kidd in new Top Gear series

Paddy McGuinness celebrates his hero, former stunt rider Eddie Kidd, with a road trip and by leaping through a ring of fire in the new Top Gear series.

Kidd, 62, was one of the greatest bikers of his generation, performing death-defying feats and working on multiple James Bond films, but was left paralysed following an accident in 1996.

McGuinness and his fellow Top Gear hosts Freddie Flintoff and Chris Harris will pay tribute to the daredevil biker with an explosive stunt show in the first episode of the new series, due to air on Sunday.

In a teaser video of the episode, McGuinness, 48, can be seen driving down an open road in a convertible car with Kidd in the passenger seat.

McGuinness says in the voiceover: “It was time to show Eddie that trail he blazed, and that meant taking a little drive.”

A procession of motorbikes then stream by the car to pay tribute to the great rider, with Kidd saluting them as they pass.

Discussing meeting his hero, McGuinness said: “When you’re talking to him, you totally still see that glint in his eye.

“It’s nice that we can do stuff like that on Top Gear. It takes you (away from) us being outlandish and doing silly stunts or what have you.

“In the film he trolls me quite a lot. He’s really sharp – and I didn’t care what he said to me or if he took the mickey out of me.”

Fellow presenter Flintoff said the stuntmen and women of today often cite Kidd as the “benchmark”.

Reflecting on Kidd’s achievements, he added: “The first person to do all that is the one who’s the bravest.

“He’s doing something you’re not sure can possibly be done and he’s the one out there and he’s paved the way for everyone else afterwards.”

Top Gear airs on Sunday at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.