IT HAD BEEN five years since Ben Collins donned the white suit that made him famous, but at a recent Top Gear live show in Belfast he did just that.
He hadn’t seen Jeremy Clarkson since the former host had some choice words for him after he was revealed as The Stig in 2010 – following a legal battle with the BBC over his autobiography The Man In The White Suit.
Top Gear has been in the spotlight for the wrong reasons of late – with the BBC choosing to not renew Clarkson’s contract in March after an his “fracas” with producer Oisín Tymon.
Collins, who now works as a stunt driver in films such as the James Bond franchise, described the incident as “sad” but – alluding to a rumoured deal between Clarkson and his co-hosts Richard Hammond and James May with Netflix – added: “We might end up with two really cool car shows.”
Reports have been circulating that Hammond and May have turned down a multimillion pound deal from the BBC to stay on Top Gear without Clarkson.
So, how did Collins and Clarkson get on when they met recently?
Radio presenter Chris Evans confirmed he is in talks with BBC bosses to take over the show after telling Channel 4′s Sunday Brunch he’s “doing a Top Gear sequence with an independent production company”, adding: “We’re going to see how it goes.”
His comments were quickly picked up on by Clarkson and co – who wasted no time in poking fun at him on Twitter:
Collins thinks the show can go on without the famous trio, saying it “could start from scratch with a new format”.
So, does he think Evans has what it takes to be the host?
For the record, Collins says he can’t wear the helmet anymore – in case he gets in trouble with the BBC.
Video: Michelle Hennessy/Órla Ryan
Collins was in Dublin to launch the Coors Light Great Rocky Mountain Game. More information on the game can be found here.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say