The BBC has confirmed that Top Gear is returning to TV screens after the show went off air almost four years ago when former host and cricket great Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff was badly hurt in a crash.

Ed Harvard, the BBC’s director of entertainment, made the announcement on Thursday, saying: “There has been a lot of speculation around this and we can confirm that Top Gear is making a comeback.”

Three men posing on an empty country road under a cloudy sky; two wear leather jackets, one in a black suit at center.
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He dodged questions about a possible hosting lineup but appeared to be keen on comedian and TV host Jimmy Carr, a known car aficionado who was a guest on the show in 2004. “Jimmy would be a great host but I won’t be discussing that today. We will have more information on Top Gear shortly,” Harvard said.

Other possible hosts reportedly being eyed by the broadcaster include former English rugby star turned TV personality Joe Marler and model Jodie Kidd. She has appeared on the show before, and has hosted other car-based programs on British television.

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has also been mentioned after starring on Top Gear several times. So too has Mr Bean creator and comedy legend Rowan Atkinson, who is famed for his love of exotic cars and used his McLaren F1 as a daily driver to the tune of 66,000km.

Of all those names, Carr is probably the frontrunner, with Britain’s The Sun newspaper reporting last week that he has been in talks to snag the job. The 53-year-old set what was then the fastest lap for a celebrity around the famed Top Gear circuit in 2004.

The crash that left Flintoff permanently scarred was never likely to result in the permanent disappearance of the program, given its immense success and ability to generate incredible amounts of revenue for the BBC.

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The Beeb announced it was “resting” the show in November 2023, after the accident at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome saw Flintoff dragged face-first underneath the three-wheeler he was driving for about 50 metres.

Top Gear started as a regional show in Britain in 1977. The now-famous format was introduced in 2002 with hosts Richard Hammond, Jason Dawe and the program’s lightning rod, Jeremy Clarkson.

It really took off when James May replaced Dawe and became a worldwide phenomenon until the three hosts packed up and moved to Amazon to create The Grand Tour, which premiered in November 2016. 

The announcement of the Top Gear reboot comes shortly after a new hosting panel was announced for The Grand Tour, featuring internet personality and trainspotter Francis Bourgeois, and James Engelsman and Thomas Holland, who created the popular YouTube channel Throttle House.