Top Gear is returning with new hosts reportedly in the mix

Key highlights:

• Top Gear is officially returning after a four-year break.
• Jimmy Carr and Joe Marler are reportedly being considered as hosts.
• The BBC is yet to confirm the presenters, format or return date.

The Top Gear TV show is returning after years of uncertainty, though the BBC have yet to announce a specific return date or the people who will be responsible for hosting. BBC Director of Entertainment Ed Havard announced the revival at the Edinburgh TV Festival, finally putting an end to the decades-long mystery as to the future of the legendary motoring show.

While the BBC have not yet announced the new presenting line-up, Jimmy Carr is apparently one of the names being considered for the role. The 53-year-old comedian is already a familiar face on the British television scene, having hosted and appeared on a plethora of different entertainment shows, and his sharp wit could be a welcome addition to Top Gear’s long-running mix of cars, challenges and comedy.

Havard has previously described Carr as a potential “great host”, though there is no word yet as to whether he has signed on. Former England rugby player Joe Marler has also apparently been linked with the reboot, with the 36-year-old making his TV debut in 2024 after retiring from the sport in the same year. Neither Carr nor Marler have been confirmed as Top Gear presenters.

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What happened to Top Gear?

Top Gear has seen a number of different presenting line-ups since Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May turned it into a global motoring phenomenon. After Clarkson’s exit, the BBC launched a new version of the show in 2016, starring Chris Evans, Matt LeBlanc, Chris Harris, Eddie Jordan, Rory Reid and Sabine Schmitz.

Evans departed the series after just one season, and it eventually settled on Chris Harris, Paddy McGuinness and Freddie Flintoff. That trio fronted the show from 2019, delivering a mix of entertainment and motoring knowledge to fans around the world. However, production was halted in 2022 due to an accident involving Flintoff, and the BBC have since confirmed that Top Gear will not return in its current form.

What will the new Top Gear look like?

There are still very few details known about the BBC’s Top Gear reboot. The BBC have yet to confirm the programme’s presenters, format or release date, meaning the reboot could be set to follow the same format as Top Gear of old, or take the motoring show in an entirely new direction. The choice of presenter will be particularly important, as Top Gear’s success has always hinged on the combination of people at the wheel, rather than the fleet of cars being appraised.

The revival also comes at a pivotal time for the motoring series, with The Grand Tour entering a new era following the end of Clarkson, Hammond and May’s standard-bearer format. For now, Top Gear fans will simply have to wait for the BBC to announce who will be taking up the drivers’ seat.