Presenter Chris Evans is leaving Top Gear. Mark Linsey, Director, BBC Studios, issued the following statement on Top Gear: “Chris is stepping down from his duties on Top Gear.
He says he gave it his best shot doing everything he could to make the show a success.
Evans joined Top Gear last June after the departure of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May.
He firmly believes that the right people remain, on both the production team and presenting team to take the show forward and make it the hit we want it to be. The new series has so far notched up over 30m views in the UK alone and has already been sold to 130 territories worldwide.
Chris Evans said: “I have never worked with a more committed and driven team than the team I have worked with over the last twelve months. I feel like my standing aside is the single best thing I can now do to help the cause. I remain a huge fan of the show, always have been, always will be. I will continue to focus on my radio show and the allied events that it encompasses.”
Speaking to BBC News, racing driving Perry McCarthy said he thought Evans “hadn’t quite gelled with the show” and the revamped series had problems from the first episode.
“The first show was terrible – it was really bad and I was incredibly surprised they didn’t produce a better return show,” he said.
