Chris Evans quits Top Gear after giving BBC show his 'best shot'

Jennifer Ruby4 July 2016
The Weekender

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Chris Evans has announced that he is stepping down from Top Gear.

The radio and TV presenter, who hosted the revamped series of the show, confirmed the news on Twitter on Monday.

He wrote: “Stepping down from Top Gear. Gave it my best shot but sometimes that's not enough. The team are beyond brilliant, I wish them all the best.

“Full steam ahead then with Radio 2, CarFest, Children In Need, 500 Words and whatever else we can dream up in the future."

In an official statement, 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."

Mark Linsey, Director of BBC Studios, said: "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.

"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."

The rebooted motoring show was met with mixed reactions when it launched last month, with many criticising Evans for his presenting technique.

Top Gear Media Launch - In pictures

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The show suffered its worse ratings of the series during last night’s finale, falling by nearly 50% since the opening episode.

Sunday's overnight ratings were the lowest of any episode in the new series, with Episode 4 bringing a previous low of 2.34 million (average) on the night.

By contrast, the seven-day figures for Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May’s final episode in June 2015 was 6.9 million viewers.

While most fans seemed to have liked elements of the revamped show, some thought that it would work better with Evans in a less prominent role.

“Love Chris Evans, but #TopGear should be presented by just Matt LeBlanc, Rory Reid, Chris Harris and Sabine Schmitz," one viewer posted on Twitter.

Another wrote: “Really enjoyed @harrismonkey and @MrRoryReid and Matt le blanc on top gear this series. Evans, Sabine and Eddie not so much. #TopGear.”

According to reports, the BBC are set to completely change the format for the next series of the show.

The broadcaster has just hired new Entertainment Controller Kate Phillips, who will join the team in September.

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