Top Gear 2019 – when does the new series start, who is hosting and why did Matt LeBlanc quit?

Who did they find? And when does the new series start? Here's everything you need to know…

When does the new Top Gear 2019 series start?

Filming for the new series will take place in the next few weeks.

Last year, the 2018 series premiered on Sunday February 25 on BBC Two.

It is expected that the 2019 series will launch around a similar time, however, the exact date is yet to be confirmed by producers.

Until then, you can watch old episodes on BBC iplayer.

Why did Matt LeBlanc quit Top Gear?

The BBC announced that series 26 will be Matt Le Blanc's last series as a presenter.

The actor said participating in the show has been "great fun" but that the "time commitment and extensive travel… takes me away from my family and friends more than I'm comfortable with."

He added: "It's unfortunate, but for these reasons I will not be continuing my involvement with the show.

"I will forever be a Top Gear fan and I wish the team continued success. Thanks for a great drive."

Who are the new Top Gear lead hosts?

The new Top Gear hosts will be cricketer Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff and TV presenter Paddy McGuinness.

Matt Le Blanc announced that he would be leaving the show after the next series. 

Paddy and Freddie signed a two-year deal to host the car show from 2019 — earning around £500,000 each.

A BBC source said: “Paddy and Freddie are real curveball signings which no one predicted and bosses are delighted with them..

“The BBC think having a British trio – two Lancashire lads and a car buff – is a good move.

“Paddy and Fred are car-mad too. Paddy’s one-liners and Fred’s sense of adventure should bring back the old days of Top Gear.”

Who are the other presenters of Top Gear?

Friends star Matt LeBlanc will be co-presenting Top Gear for a final time along with two returning co-stars.

The BBC announced the news of his departure on Twitter and confirmed that Freddie Flintoff and Paddy McGuinness would be replacing him. 

The other presenters are…

Chris Harris

Chris is a 42-year-old journalist who has made a career in the automotive field as a writer, presenter and driver.

His writing credits start with Autocar magazine, where he climbed the ranks to 'road-test editor', writing opinion pieces and reviews on cars.

He has also appeared in a series of YouTube videos and created his own show Chris Harris on Cars, which was later bought and moved to the BBC's website.

Before moving over to the main programme for the second revamped series, Rory and his co-star Chris Harris hosted the spin-off show of the main series, called Extra Gear.

Rory Reid

Rory is a 37-year-old journalist who specialises in technology and cars in his work.

In this field, he had previously works under CNETs Car Tech channel.

He started working as a tech journalist after completing a computer science degree at the University of North London.

He is the former editor-in-chief of Recombu magazine, but has now stepped down from the role and now works as a brand ambassador.

Rory was noticed by Top Gear bosses after submitting a video of his skills as a presenter to an open audition – the only hopeful of the round to be picked.


How does Top Gear work?

The programme looks at various motor vehicles but with the main focus being cars.

As well as reviewing the automobiles, the programme has motoring-based challenges, special races and celebrity timed laps.

Since 2002, the programme has been presented by several hosts.

In its first series, the show's original and perhaps most famous line-up was Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and Jason Dawe, who was then replaced by James May.

Radio host Chris Evans also had his turn presenting the show for the 23rd series in 2016 until Matt LeBlanc took over as lead presenter.

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