The long-running BBC motoring series, Top Gear, has been confirmed to be returning to television screens after a four-year absence. The show went off air following a significant accident that left former co-host Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff with severe injuries, for which he later received a substantial settlement.
Speculation surrounding a potential reboot has been rife, with recent reports from U.K. tabloid newspaper The Sun suggesting that comedian Jimmy Carr was in discussions for a presenter position. While the BBC has yet to officially announce any talent involved in the new iteration of the series, the corporation's director of entertainment, Ed Havard, confirmed the revival plans. "There has been a lot of speculation about this and we can confirm that Top Gear is coming back," Havard stated in comments to BBC News. He declined to elaborate on specific casting, adding, "I'm not going to talk about talent today. Jimmy would be a great host but I won't be discussing that today. We will have more information on Top Gear shortly."
The confirmed return of Top Gear may be partly influenced by the upcoming new season of Amazon Prime's rival series, The Grand Tour. This new season will feature original Top Gear hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May, even as they transition away from full-time presenting duties on that show.