BBC bosses have confirmed that Top Gear is officially returning to the broadcaster, nearly four years after Freddie Flintoff's devastating high-speed car crash. Ed Havard, the BBC's director of entertainment, made the announcement at the Edinburgh TV Festival.
Speaking at a panel event on Thursday (August 27), Havard said: "There has been a lot of speculation about this, and we can confirm that Top Gear is back."
Jimmy Carr speculation grows
In recent weeks, speculation has been growing that comedian Jimmy Carr will host the reboot, a possibility the producer did not deny at the event. Havard added: "Jimmy would be a great host, but I won't be discussing that today. We will have more information on Top Gear shortly."
It is also reported that former rugby player turned TV personality Joe Marler could join Carr in the driving seat, although no deals have been signed at this time.
Crash halted production
Production of the 34th series of the motoring show ground to a halt when Flintoff suffered a near-fatal accident while filming at the show's test track at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey. The star was driving an open-topped, three-wheeled Morgan Super 3 when the car flipped over while taking a corner at 22mph. Because the car lacked a roof or airbags and Flintoff was not wearing a helmet, his face was dragged across the tarmac as the car inverted.
In 2023, Flintoff and the broadcaster reached a settlement over the crash, with the former TV star reportedly paid £9 million. Following the crash, the BBC announced that Top Gear would not return to TV "for the foreseeable future," explaining it had "decided to rest the UK show."
BBC's previous statement
The BBC previously stated: "[We] remain committed to Freddie, Chris and Paddy who have been at the heart of the show's renaissance since 2019, and we're excited about new projects being developed with each of them. We will have more to say in the near future on this. We know resting the show will be disappointing news for fans, but it is the right thing to do."
The news comes after The Grand Tour announced its host replacements following Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May stepping back from the Amazon Prime show last year. Replacing the TV stars are social media star and train enthusiast Francis Bourgeois, as well as YouTubers Thomas Holland and James Engelsman, known for their motoring content.
History of the show
Top Gear was created by Jeremy Clarkson and Andy Wilman in 2002. It has had 13 presenters over the years, with Flintoff, Chris Harris and Paddy McGuinness making up the latest trio of hosts. It also featured an anonymous, helmet-wearing test driver known as The Stig, later revealed to be Paul Rees.
The ex-Formula 2 and Porsche Supercup driver said in July that he was in a car crash with Flintoff and that he has "no idea how I survived." He is now suing the BBC for damages.
