Matt LeBlanc, who made his name playing Joey Tribbiani on NBC’s “Friends,” is making history as the first non-British host in “Top Gear” history.
LeBlanc has been a guest on the show several times in previous years, even hosting a special episode looking back at the best races in the show’s history.
“As a car nut and a massive fan of ‘Top Gear,’ I’m honored and excited to be a part of this iconic show’s new chapter. What a thrill!” LeBlanc said in a press release issued by the BBC on Thursday.
Founded in 1977 as a straightforward car magazine series, the British series was relaunched in 2002 encompassing a much more humorous and cheeky tone, rendering the show more entertainment than educational.
Part of that shift in tone came from presenter Jeremy Clarkson, who had been on the show since 1988. A journalist who focused primarily on cars and car culture, Clarkson was infamous for his humor, which often skewed controversial, so much that complaints against the presenter were lodged by viewers, car companies and even entire nations.
In March 2015, Clarkson punched a “Top Gear” producer after a spat in which Clarkson could not have the steak he requested and had to settle for soup and a cold meat platter. In the wake of the event, the BBC announced that Clarkson’s contract, which expired at the end of the month, would not be renewed, spawning a Change.org protest that garnered more than 1 million signatures.
Co-hosts James May and Richard Hammond, as well as executive producer Andy Wilman, refused to continue on the show without Clarkson. The three men, along with Clarkson, formed a production company with plans for a new car series on Amazon in late 2016.
In June 2015, the BBC announced that Chris Evans, a British radio and television personality, had signed on for three years with “Top Gear” leading to Thursday’s announcement of LeBlanc’s involvement.
The new season of “Top Gear” is scheduled to return to BBC Two and BBC America in May 2016.
Libby Hill, Los Angeles Times
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