The BBC has announced the return of Top Gear for the first time in four years, after the series was shelved following presenter Freddie Flintoff’s crash.
Speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival on Thursday (August 27), Ed Havard, the BBC’s director of entertainment, said: “There has been a lot of speculation about this and we can confirm that Top Gear is coming back. I’m not going to talk about talent today.”
Show’s history and previous presenters
Prior to leaving the show in 2015 to make The Grand Tour for Amazon Prime Video, Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond presented Top Gear together for more than a decade. The trio was formed in 2003 when James replaced original host Jason Dawe.
Despite the three stars leaving the show, the BBC continued to produce Top Gear with a number of different presenters for the next seven years. They initially brought in Chris Evans, Matt LeBlanc and Eddie Jordan to front the revamp.
Also brought in were journalist Chris Harris, German motor racing driver Sabine Schmitz and motoring journalist Rory Reid. The final presenting line-up was Chris, Paddy McGuinness and Freddie, who worked together from 2019 to 2022.
Crash and suspension
No new series has been released since 2022 after Freddie suffered severe injuries in December of that year. During filming at the Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey, Freddie was driving a three-wheeled Morgan Super 3 at high speed on the test track at Dunsfold Park when it flipped over.
He was airlifted to St George's Hospital - a major trauma centre - in Tooting after he suffered severe facial injuries and several broken ribs. The BBC suspended filming.
In November 2023, the BBC announced that Top Gear would not return on TV for the ‘foreseeable future’. Now, they have officially confirmed that Top Gear will be back on screens.
New host speculation
Havard declined to comment on reports that Last One Laughing host and comedian Jimmy Carr is being lined up as the show’s new host. Reports emerged over the weekend that Jimmy is being eyed to take on the series.
Havard stated: “Jimmy would be a great host but I won’t be discussing that today. We will have more information on Top Gear shortly.”
The news arrives just over a week before the new season of The Grand Tour kicks off on Amazon Prime Video. The series came to an end in 2024 following 46 episodes and six series, marking the end of the 22-year-long partnership between Jeremy, James and Richard.
It was confirmed back in February that TikTok trainspotter Francis Bourgeois and Throttle House YouTubers James Engelsman and Thomas Holland are the new hosts of the programme in a move to secure younger viewers.
Its synopsis reads: "From crossing the Angolan desert in track cars to exploring Malaysia’s vibrant car culture, before heading to California to test cutting-edge performance cars, Francis, James and Thomas drive the new series into a new era."
