Top Gear bosses are reportedly bringing back The Stig to the upcoming reboot of the show, aiming to inject a familiar element from its golden age into the new series.
The motoring series made stars of original presenters Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond when it aired in the early 2000s. The trio left in 2015, and a host of others, including Paddy McGuinness, Chris Evans, and Matt LeBlanc, took over in the years that followed. The format was rested for the "foreseeable future" in 2023 when Freddie Flintoff was seriously injured during a crash on the programme's test track in Surrey.
Towards the end of last week, the BBC announced that the programme had been commissioned for another series, and now insiders have claimed that The Stig, an anonymous silent racing driver, will also be heading back to screen.
Insiders confirm The Stig's return
A source said: "Show bosses will obviously want to mark the start of a new era with some tweaks to the show, but they also want the new Top Gear to have some familiarity."
Speaking to The Sun, the source added: "And The Stig was one of the most important elements that went from the golden age under Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May right through to the most recent series in 2022. So bringing them back was a bit of a no-brainer."
Initially, it was Formula One driver Perry McCarthy who played The Stig, before racing driver Ben Collins donned the famous white costume and stayed with the show until 2010. By 2022, both Phil Keen and Paul Reese had shared the role of The Stig.
Reboot confirmed at Edinburgh TV Festival
The reboot was confirmed at the Edinburgh TV Festival towards the end of August, with BBC's director of entertainment Ed Havard saying: "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."
When asked about reports that comedian Jimmy Carr would be on hosting duties, he replied: "Jimmy would be a great host but I won't be discussing that today. We will have more information on Top Gear shortly."
A TV insider previously claimed: "Production have their sights set on Jimmy, he's the ideal host to take the show into a new era and revive Top Gear. He's keen to work on something mainstream after spending so many years fronting comedy panel shows."
"He's a real car buff, too, so it would be a passion project. Casting directors are now working to find talent to join him in the new-look ensemble. Bosses are considering a woman and online celebrities to complement Jimmy."
Jimmy, who fronted a string of comedy panel shows including Countdown and 8 Out of 10 Cats, has made no secret of his love of the show in past interviews and boasts an impressive car collection.
When asked if he would like to host the show in a previous chat, he said: "If it comes up, yeah, call me! Call me straight away. I would do that in a heartbeat. I think it's maybe the best job in television."
