BBC confirms Top Gear return as its Director of Entertainment says Jimmy Carr 'would be a great host'
Top Gear is returning - four years after it was shelved following Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff's horror car crash.
The BBC's Director of Entertainment thinks "Jimmy Carr would be a great host" for Top Gear as the corporation confirms its return.
The long-running motoring show was shelved in 2022 after presenter Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff, 48, was involved in a horror car crash, and last week, it was reported that 53-year-old comedian Jimmy was in talks to front the new series.
Speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival on Thursday (27.08.26), Ed Harvard said: "I know there’s been lots of speculation about this, but we can confirm that Top Gear is coming back.
"I’m not going to talk about talent today."
However, he added: "Jimmy Carr would be a great host."
Chief content Officer Kate Phillips said the BBC is keen to bring back top shows, pointing to their continued popularity on iPlayer.
She said: "We’re committed to doing really big shows still and when you’re talking about Top Gear, is that, even though we haven’t a new series for a while, on iPlayer it’s still massive for the back catalogue.
"So we know the audience want it back."
A female presenter and "online celebrities" could complement Jimmy on Top Gear when it returns to screens, potentially next year.
A source told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: "Production have their sights set on Jimmy, he’s the ideal host to take the show into a new era and revive Top Gear. He’s keen to work on something mainstream after spending so many years fronting comedy panel shows.
"He’s a real car buff, too, so it would be a passion project.
"Casting directors are now working to find talent to join him in the new-look ensemble.
"Bosses are considering a woman and online celebrities to complement Jimmy."
The new line-up would replace Paddy McGuinness, 53, Chris Harris, 51, and Freddie.
Freddie suffered facial and rib injuries when his three-wheel car turned over at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey while shooting an episode of Top Gear in late 2022.
The former England cricketer subsequently admitted that he struggled to overcome the experience.
Speaking on Freddie Flintoff’s Field Of Dreams: Ultimate Test, he shared: "It was, what – 18 months ago? And you know, I’ve suffered with things like depression in the past before, but this time was different.
"I didn’t know if I had it in me to carry on, not that I wanted to die or anything like that, I just didn’t know if I had it in me, and that took a while.
"The one thing, I think, getting quite deep here, but the one thing you just want to be is happy in yourself, and try and be accepting of yourself of what you are.
"It took me a long time to be like that, and then the crash put me back again, and now it’s like finding myself or finding the person I want to be."
