Yahoo Autos British Top Gear Show Loses Matt LeBlanc, Gains Two New Hosts
In yet another shakeup for the car-themed British series, after the upcoming 26th season, BBC's Top Gear will lose Matt LeBlanc and gain two new hosts. LeBlanc had announced his departure from the show earlier in the year, but this is the first time the new lineup of presenters has been shown. Chris Harris, who has been on the show since 2016, remains.
The two new hosts are Freddie Flintoff and Paddy McGuinness. Flintoff is a former pro cricket player that has appeared on many British game shows, reality series, and panel shows since his retirement from the sport in 2010. McGuinness is a comedian and actor that has extensive experience as a TV presenter. Both new hosts seem to at least enjoy cars-McGuinness even hosted a show called Stars in Their Cars-but time will tell whether that translates to the Top Gear gig and whether the show's ravenous audience will accept them.
The 23rd season of Top Gear, which aired in 2016, was the first for the (now old) new set of hosts after the departure of Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond, who now star in The Grand Tour on Amazon Prime. That first lineup consisted of Chris Evans (not the Captain America one) and Matt LeBlanc as the main presenters, with Chris Harris, Sabine Schmitz, Rory Reid, and Eddie Jordan appearing as additional co-hosts. After the 2016 season's dismal reviews and ratings, Evans quit, and in the following two seasons LeBlanc, Harris, and Reid were made the main hosts, with Jordan and Schmitz also making appearances. That set of personalities will continue in the upcoming 26th season, which is scheduled to start airing in early 2019.
The 27th season, which will air later in 2019, will be the first with the new lineup. Rory Reid and Sabine Schmitz will stay on as occasional contributors to the show, with Reid hosting the online Extra Gear companion show.
('You Might Also Like',)
