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The BBC has confirmed that its veteran motoring show “Top Gear,” whose former hosts have included Jeremy Clarkson and “Friends” star Matt LeBlanc, will return.
The series, which began in 1977 and became one of the BBC’s
biggest exports, was taken off air in 2022. It was rested after co-host Andrew Flintoff, a former cricketer, suffered serious facial and rib injuries when his open-topped three-wheeled car overturned at the show’s test track.
Flintoff, Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris hosted the show before it was rested.
The hosting lineup for the new show has not yet been revealed, but the Sun newspaper last week reported that comedian Jimmy Carr was in talks to come on board. Former rugby player and “Celebrity Traitors” star Joe Marler is also reportedly being considered as a host.
The BBC’s director of entertainment Ed Havard told the Edinburgh TV Festival on Thursday: “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.”
Asked whether Carr would be hosting, 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.”
The show will be made by BBC Studios.
The popularity of “Top Gear” was at its height when Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May were hosts from 2003. They left to host “The Grand Tour” at Amazon in 2015, which ran until 2024. After their departure LeBlanc and DJ Chris Evans took the wheel.
