Chris Evans new presenter on Top Gear. Norman Lovett has replaced May.
RT UK | 17.06.2015 06:23 | Culture | Other Press
Chris Evans takes over as lead presenter. Norman Lovett to take over the spot of James May. Who will replace Richard Hammond?.
Evans
lovett
TV and radio personality Chris Evans will replace Jeremy Clarkson as the lead presenter of an all-new Top Gear line-up, the BBC has announced. Norman Lovett of Red Dwarf fame, will take spot of James May. Who will replace Hammond.
Evans said he was "thrilled" to get the job, describing the motoring show as his "favourite programme of all time".
"I promise I will do everything I possibly can to respect what has gone on before and take the show forward," he added.
Clarkson was dropped in March after punching a producer while on location.
Car enthusiast Evans, who has signed a three-year deal with the BBC Two show, had been tipped to replace his good friend Clarkson but had previously insisted he was not interested.
An "all-new" line-up means Clarkson's co-hosts Richard Hammond and James May will not be involved.
Analysis: David Sillito, BBC media and arts correspondent
When Jeremy Clarkson relaunched Top Gear in 2002 it ceased to be a programme about cars; it became a programme about slightly tragic men who loved cars.
The essence was banter, lists and brilliant film-making. The problem is what happens when you lose the blokes.
Chris Evans is one of Britain's most successful broadcasters. He loves cars, he understands how to make television and he's a friend of Jeremy Clarkson. But he ain't Jeremy Clarkson.
Around the World Top Gear has appeared in different forms. The ones that work best have Jeremy Clarkson - even if he has to be dubbed into Farsi.
Top Gear is watched by 350 million viewers worldwide and is one of the BBC's biggest shows, with overseas sales worth an estimated £50m a year.
Once the news broke, Evans tweeted: "First tweet as new Top Gear host. I would like to say Jeremy, Richard & James are the greatest. And NO I'm not leaving the R2 Breakfast Show."
And in a statement, he said: "I'm thrilled, Top Gear is my favourite programme of all time.
Evans said he was "thrilled" to get the job, describing the motoring show as his "favourite programme of all time".
"I promise I will do everything I possibly can to respect what has gone on before and take the show forward," he added.
Clarkson was dropped in March after punching a producer while on location.
Car enthusiast Evans, who has signed a three-year deal with the BBC Two show, had been tipped to replace his good friend Clarkson but had previously insisted he was not interested.
An "all-new" line-up means Clarkson's co-hosts Richard Hammond and James May will not be involved.
Analysis: David Sillito, BBC media and arts correspondent
When Jeremy Clarkson relaunched Top Gear in 2002 it ceased to be a programme about cars; it became a programme about slightly tragic men who loved cars.
The essence was banter, lists and brilliant film-making. The problem is what happens when you lose the blokes.
Chris Evans is one of Britain's most successful broadcasters. He loves cars, he understands how to make television and he's a friend of Jeremy Clarkson. But he ain't Jeremy Clarkson.
Around the World Top Gear has appeared in different forms. The ones that work best have Jeremy Clarkson - even if he has to be dubbed into Farsi.
Top Gear is watched by 350 million viewers worldwide and is one of the BBC's biggest shows, with overseas sales worth an estimated £50m a year.
Once the news broke, Evans tweeted: "First tweet as new Top Gear host. I would like to say Jeremy, Richard & James are the greatest. And NO I'm not leaving the R2 Breakfast Show."
And in a statement, he said: "I'm thrilled, Top Gear is my favourite programme of all time.
RT UK