The BBC has announced that Top Gear will not be returning to TV “for the foreseeable future” following the December 2022 crash involving the presenter Freddie Flintoff.
In a statement, the BBC said it has “decided to rest the UK show”.
The former England cricket captain turned broadcaster was taken to hospital by air ambulance last December after suffering life threatening injuries while filming at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey, England.
The BBC added it “remains committed to Freddie, Chris and Paddy who have been at the heart of the show’s renaissance since 2019, and we’re excited about new projects being developed with each of them. 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.”
A British staple that turned into a global show, Top Gear has been part of BBC’s programing since its debut in July 1977. The programme initially focused on a range of motoring topics, the most common being car reviews, road safety and consumer advice.
This was expanded in 2002 upon after the broadcast of its earlier series to incorporate films featuring motoring-based challenges, special races, timed laps of notable cars, and celebrity timed laps on a course specially-designed for the show featuring an anonymous driver known as The Stig.
The programme drew acclaim for its visual and presentation style since its launch, which focused on being generally entertaining to viewers, as well as criticism over the controversial nature of its content.
Top Gear had become a significant show in British popular culture, with episodes also broadcast internationally in many countries in Europe, North America, Southeast Asia and more, making it the most widely broadcast factual television programme in the world.
