Former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson has paid tribute to broadcaster Quentin Willson, who has died aged 68 after a short battle with lung cancer. Willson passed away “peacefully surrounded by his family” on Saturday, his family confirmed.
Clarkson wrote on X: “I’m far away so I’ve only just heard that Quentin Willson has died. We had some laughs over the years. Properly funny man.” Fellow presenters James May and Tiff Needell also shared their condolences.
Willson was one of the original hosts of BBC’s Top Gear, fronting the show from 1991 to 2001 alongside Clarkson. He later presented Channel 5’s Fifth Gear and created programmes such as Britain’s Worst Drivers and BBC Two’s The Car’s The Star.
Beyond television, Willson was a passionate consumer champion, campaigning to freeze fuel duty with his FairFuel campaign and advocating for affordable electric vehicles through FairCharge. He also wrote columns for The Mirror and Sunday Mirror for 15 years.
His family described him as a “true national treasure” who “brought the joy of motoring, from combustion to electric, into our living rooms.” They added: “The void he has left can never be filled.”
