If the show does make a comeback, the current format & hosts will likely not return.
BBC has officially announced their popular TV show Top Gear has been cancelled. The BBC released an official statement announcing they have “decided to rest the UK show for the foreseeable future”.
The cancellation comes after one of the host, Freddie Flintoff was involved in a crash resulting in him suffering from severe injuries last year. Flintoff’s crash happened at the Top Gear test track in December 2022. The host was then airlifted to the hospital by medical personnel. Both BBC and Freddie Flintoff reportedly reached a settlement worth around $11.3 million. The network also launched a third-party investigation into the show’s safety – the results of which are not being published.
Freddie Flintoff has been hosting the show alongside Chris Harris & Paddy McGuinness since 2019. The former trio of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond & James May left the show in 2015, after BBC decided not to renew Clarkson’s contract following an off-screen incident.
Top Gear first premiered in 1977 with varied hosts and iterations over the years. However, in 2002 & 2003 the iconic trio joined the show as hosts making it BBC’s top earners and one of the most watched television show in the world.
BBC stated, “We know resting the show will be disappointing news for fans, but it is the right thing to do.” They even confirmed that, “All other Top Gear activity remains unaffected by this hiatus, including international formats, digital, magazines, and licensing.”
Having said that, the show might not have come to a dead end. However, reports do suggest that if the show does make a comeback, the current format & hosts will likely not return.
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