The BBC has confirmed that Top Gear is set to return in a new reboot. The broadcaster’s director of entertainment, Ed Havard, announced the news at the Edinburgh TV Festival, ending years of speculation about the show’s future.
Return announced at Edinburgh TV Festival
The hit show first aired in 1977 and soon became a fan favourite. It relaunched in 2002, fronted by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and Jason Dawe, and was later taken over by Chris Harris, Paddy McGuinness, and Freddie Flintoff. This new era of the programme came to an end in 2022, when Flintoff suffered a serious car crash.
Speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival, Havard 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.” BBC chief content officer Kate Phillips added: “We know that the audience wants it back.”
Host speculation and 2022 crash
Several names have been in talks to join the show, including comedian Jimmy Carr, but nothing has been confirmed as of yet. When asked whether Carr would be hosting, Havard said: “Jimmy would be a great host but I won’t be discussing that today. We will have more information on Top Gear shortly.”
The show was taken off air in 2022 when Flintoff was injured in a high-speed crash while filming for the 34th series in Surrey. The former cricketer was taken to hospital with facial and rib injuries after driving a Morgan Super 3, which flipped upside down and skidded on the tarmac before coming to a stop. After the crash, the BBC said Top Gear would be “rested” for the foreseeable future, after reaching a financial settlement with Flintoff reportedly worth around £9 million.
