Top Gear was suspended before the BBC announced in November 2023 that it would not be returning “for the foreseeable future” but now insiders say it is returning
Four years after the horror crash that saw Freddie Flintoff suffer life-changing injuries, the car show Top Gear is being brought back by the BBC according to insiders.
In 2022, Freddie’s life was changed after a car crash while filming BBC1’s Top Gear at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey left him with devastating facial injuries. He underwent extensive reconstructive surgery led by maxillofacial surgeon Mr Jahrad Haq. Freddie is believed to have been paid £9million compensation.
The popular series was suspended before the BBC announced in November 2023 that it would not be returning “for the foreseeable future”. However, Prime Video has since announced a reboot of The Grand Tour, the motoring show hosted by Clarkson, May and Hammond after they left Top Gear.
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A new presenting team will replace former hosts Andrew Flintoff, Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris. BBC Studios has already started work on the reboot, which could be aired next year — half a century after the show launched in 1977.
An insider told The Sun: “BBC bosses are keen to revive Top Gear because they have never filled the space it left behind and so many viewers hanker after a motoring show. And it’s not just in Britain that the programme is much loved, it is a brand in its own right and watched by millions around the globe.
“Which is why it wasn’t just important to satisfy the needs of petrolheads, but also, specifically, fans of Top Gear. They’ll be thrilled to hear it is returning.”
The search is already under way for new presenters for the show.
Hosts over the years
The show’s most successful period came with Jeremy Clarkson and the little-known Richard Hammond and James May — plus the mysterious Stig — from 2002 to 2015.
There was a brief period from 2016 when DJ Chris Evans and Friends star Matt LeBlanc took over. Then in 2019, former England cricket captain “Freddie” Flintoff and comedian Paddy signed up to present alongside motoring expert Chris.
While the BBC insider said the show “is returning” the Beeb and BBC Studios, who produce the show, said they had no updates on whether the show was returning.
A spokesman for BBC Studios said: “The Top Gear brand continues to thrive across digital, publishing, and global formats. As a commercial producer, we’re always exploring new ways to develop the brand and reach audiences by leveraging such iconic IP.”
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