The BBC has confirmed Top Gear is returning to screens, and former presenter Jeremy Clarkson has shared his reaction, revealing the "secret sauce" he believes made the show a ratings winner.
Top Gear first launched in 1977, but it became a ratings phenomenon in the 2000s with Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May as presenters. The show has been off air for four years following Freddie Flintoff's serious injuries sustained in a crash while filming.
BBC Confirmation and Clarkson's Response
At Thursday's Edinburgh TV festival, the BBC's director of entertainment, Ed Havard, said: "There has been a lot of speculation about this and we can confirm that Top Gear is coming back."
Clarkson, who spent two decades filming Top Gear, used his column in The Sun to comment on the revival. He stated: "The BBC announced this week that it wouldn't comment on speculation, and then commented on speculation that Top Gear is coming back, saying that it is. I wish them well with the project and will even tell them about the secret sauce I used to make the show a ratings winner around the world."
The Secret Sauce Revealed
Clarkson divulged: "Every Monday morning, I'd arrive in the production office, sit down and think: 'Right. What can I do this week to annoy the BBC?' That's the key. To attract the viewers, they have to make a show the BBC absolutely hates."
Clarkson, who once punched a producer, was told his contract would not be extended beyond the 22nd series. Hammond and May then departed with him, and the trio launched The Grand Tour on Amazon Prime Video. Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc initially replaced them, before Flintoff, Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris took over in 2018.
Presenter Speculation and Flintoff's Crash
Fans have speculated about potential new presenters. Harvard was asked whether comedian Jimmy Carr, a car enthusiast who appeared as a guest in 2004, might be considered. He replied: "I'm not going to talk about talent today. Jimmy would be a great host but I won't be discussing that today. We will have more information on Top Gear shortly."
Top Gear was taken off air after Flintoff's accident at Dunsfold aerodrome in Surrey when the Morgan Super 3 he was piloting overturned. He was taken to hospital with facial and rib injuries, and later said he remained housebound for six months apart from medical appointments. He revealed his son, Preston, who was three at the time, "wouldn't come near me" and added: "I think it frightened him, my face; it frightened me. That was heartbreaking." Flintoff also said: "I've got PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder] and I get anxious, for periods of time. I just find myself crying for no particular reason."
