TELEVISION and radio presenter Chris Evans will host the popular motoring show Top Gear, replacing Jeremy Clarkson, who was dropped in March after he physically attacked a producer, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) said on Tuesday.
Evans has signed a three-year deal and will begin filming in a few weeks time without Clarkson’s cohosts Richard Hammond and
James May, the BBC said. The three former Top Gear stars were in South Africa over the weekend to present their Clarkson, Hammond and May Live show at the Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg. Evans, a car enthusiast, said he was thrilled to get the job in his
“favourite programme of all time”, the BBC reported. “I promise I will do everything I possibly can to respect what has
gone on before and take the show forward,” Evans said. Referring to the popular BBC Radio 2 show that he presents, he
tweeted: “And NO I’m not leaving the R2 Breakfast Show”. BBC’s Top Gear is shown in more than 200 countries and is
watched by some 350 million viewers worldwide.
- Reuters