Following the termination of Jeremy Clarkson and the resignation of Richard Hammond and James May from Top Gear, the BBC was in a tight spot. They had just lost the three main hosts of the most watched factual T.V program in the world and risked losing a large share of their annual revenue. To hold onto Top gear’s global fan-base, the BBC had to find new hosts with the right balance of car knowledge and charisma that the old hosts had but without as many gaffs and slurs.
By June of 2015, just two months after losing their old hosts, the BBC announced that that the T.V and radio personality Chris Evans would be hosting the next season of Top Gear. In February of 2016, they announced Matt LeBlanc would be joining Evans along with Eddie Jordan, Sabine Schmitz, Chris Harris and Rory Reid. All of the hosts the BBC chose made sense at the time, they all either had a lot of television experience, a lot of car knowledge and sometimes both. But shortly after this new team made their T.V debut, ratings plummeted and just a few episodes in, Chris Evans resigned. In the spring of 2018, LeBlanc announced his resignation. Shortly after, the BBC brought in a new team of hosts that brought the show back on track.
Why LeBlanc Was Chosen in the First Place
Given that Matt LeBlanc is an American actor best known for his role in the long-running sitcom, the choice to bring him on to the Top Gear Team might have come as a surprise to many. However, if we take a closer look, its easy to see why the BBC wanted to bring him on. From a decade on the sitcom Friends, LeBlanc was recognizable to an international audience. LeBlanc also has a lot of experience with cars and car mechanics. His father was a mechanic, and Leblanc had the opportunity to rebuild some motorcycle engines. Leblanc made some appearances on Top Gear, including one where he set the fastest lap record for the segment “star in a reasonably priced car”. When it was announced he would be hosting alongside Chris Evans, LeBlanc was “honoured and excited to be a part of this iconic show's new chapter. What a thrill!".
He Wasn’t the Right Pick For Top Gear
Although Leblanc was a good choice in theory, his departure from the show after two years confirms that it was not the right project for him. So what made him decide to leave? According to Leblanc, the show required a time commitment and a travel schedule that took him away from his friends and family more than he was comfortable with. After LeBlanc’s last episode in May of 2019, the show was handed off to Paddy McGuinness, Andrew Flintoff and Chris Harris. This new trio has quickly brought Top Gear back to its former glory. And the secret to this success is the one thing the last Top Gear hosts couldn’t deliver, and that is the same genuine chemistry and banter that Clarkson, Hammond and May had.