Evans Above!

Chris Evans was offered a 3-year deal replacing Jeremy Clarkson as Top Gear host.

19:21 17 June 2015

BBC has confirmed a 3-year deal with Chris Evans, which will see him as the new host of Top Gear. The One Show presenter, who previously denied reports that he would take over the show, said: "I’m thrilled, Top Gear is my favourite programme of all time.

 

"Created by a host of brilliant minds who love cars and understand how to make the massively complicated come across as fun, devil-may-care and effortless.

 

"When in fact of course, it's anything but and that's the genius of Top Gear's global success.

 

“I promise I will do everything I possibly can to respect what has gone on before and take the show forward."

 

Via Twitter, he also confirmed that he would remain host of the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show. 

 

He wrote: "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 RS Breakfast Show."

 

Meanwhile, Kim Shillinglaw, Controller, BBC Two and BBC Four, added: "I am so delighted that Chris will be presenting the next series of Top Gear.

 

"His knowledge of and passion for cars are well-known and combined with his sheer inventiveness and cheeky unpredictability he is the perfect choice to take our much-loved show into the future.

 

"Chris is a huge fan of Top Gear and has great respect for the craft and work ethic of one of the best production teams in the world.

 

"He knows the phenomenal attention to detail it takes to make a single sequence of Top Gear, let alone a whole series. He is already full of brilliant ideas and I can't wait for him to get started."