UK car show Top Gear paused for 'foreseeable future', says BBC

LONDON – Motoring show Top Gear, one of the BBC’s most successful global exports, will be shelved for the “foreseeable future” following last year’s crash that seriously injured host Andrew Flintoff, the broadcaster said on Nov 21.

The former England cricket captain, 45, suffered facial injuries in the crash in December 2022, and has only recently been seen again in public.

The BBC announced a pause in production immediately after the crash, saying it would be “inappropriate” to carry on and adding it was holding a health and safety review.

It has now shelved the show indefinitely.

“Given the exceptional circumstances, the BBC has decided to rest the UK show for the foreseeable future,” it said in a statement.

“We will have more to say in the near future on this. We know resting the show will be disappointing news for fans, but it is the right thing to do.”

“All other Top Gear activity remains unaffected by this hiatus including international formats, digital, magazines and licensing.”

The show is sold to more than 150 territories, with 11 local format versions in countries such as the United States and France.

It made household names of previous presenters Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond, who all left to host another show, “the Grand Tour”, on Amazon.

Flintoff, who began hosting the show in June 2019, had another accident when he crashed into a market stall.

The BBC said last month it had agreed a financial settlement with Flintoff over the 2022 accident.

The British broadcaster’s commercial arm BBC Studios did not specify the settlement figure, but it reportedly totals £9 million (S$15 million). AFP