The popular motoring show Top Gear, which has been off air for a long time, is set to return on the BBC. The broadcaster officially confirmed this today, as reported by infohub.kz.
The show was halted after its co-host Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff was seriously injured during filming almost four years ago. Flintoff crashed at Dunsfold aerodrome in Surrey, suffering facial and rib injuries. At the time, the BBC said the series would be "rested" for the foreseeable future.
Today, at the Edinburgh TV festival, the BBC's director of entertainment, Ed Havard, confirmed the show's return. "There has been a lot of speculation about this, and we can confirm that Top Gear is coming back," he said.
Havard refused to reveal who would host the show. Earlier reports suggested that comedian Jimmy Carr was among the candidates. "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," Havard said.
There is also speculation that former England rugby player and Celebrity Traitors star Joe Marler could be a presenter.
It is worth recalling that after his accident, Flintoff said he did not leave his house for six months, except for medical appointments. The BBC reached a financial settlement with the former cricketer, reportedly worth about £9 million.
Top Gear first aired in 1977 and became one of the BBC's biggest hits in the 2000s when it was hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May. They were later replaced by Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc, and in 2018, Flintoff, Paddy McGuinness, and Chris Harris took over.