The BBC announced on Tuesday that they will stop production of the UK version of Top Gear following Freddie Flintoff’s crash while filming the show last December.
In a statement, the BBC said, “We’ve agreed with BBC Content that given the exceptional circumstances, we will be resting production of the Top Gear UK show for the foreseeable future.” Other versions of the show, as well as digital and print content, will continue.
The accident, which injured Flintoff, resulted in “life-altering significant injuries” for the host and retired cricket player. Flintoff appeared in public for the first time nine months after the crash, having multiple scars on his face and a taped nose. An independent investigation on the accident won’t be published, but the BBC apologized to Flintoff and paid a £9 million ($11.2 million) settlement from their commercial arm, BBC Studios.
A separate health and safety review that was unrelated to the crash suggested that BBC Studios complied with policies in place at the time. Still, recommendations were suggested in the name of safety that would need to be put in place if Top Gear was to continue production.
Former host James May spoke out about the news on BBC Radio 4, saying that “[Top Gear] does need a bit of a rethink.” When May and Richard Hammond left the show in 2015 after Jeremy Clarkson was fired for punching a producer, the BBC kept the same format and simply replaced the hosts. The three former longtime hosts went to Amazon to host The Grand Tour, which followed the same format as Top Gear.
"The thing about Top Gear is… it does need a bit of a rethink'
Former presenter James May gives his reaction to Nick & Amol following the news the show won't return for the foreseeable future.
Subscribe to The Today Podcast for his full interview, episodes land every Thursday
— BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) November 22, 2023
May criticized those who suggested that this was an opportunity for him, Clarkson, and Hammond to return to Top Gear. May said, “It did annoy me a bit because there were a lot of people saying, ‘They’ve done that wrong and now you can come back and rescue it.’”
“The bloke’s hurt himself very badly in a life-changing way, obviously. And you could perhaps not use it as an opportunity to be partisan. You could perhaps just say, ‘Rotten bit of luck, hope you get well soon.’”
May said that he would be surprised if the show doesn’t come back, but I honestly wouldn’t be. As a Top Gear fan myself, it would be disappointing. But I would get it in a financial sense.
Top Gear costs a lot of money to produce new episodes. And filming new episodes can come with risk of serious injury or death for the hosts, and that carries a financial and legal risk. And they have a 20-plus-year library of shows, specials, and compilation shows that the BBC can make money off of and not even have to make another episode.
When you put it that way, why would the BBC bring the show back?
About Phillip Bupp
Producer/editor of the Awful Announcing Podcast and Short and to the Point. News editor for The Comeback and Awful Announcing. Highlight consultant for Major League Soccer as well as a freelance writer for hire. Opinions are my own but feel free to agree with them.
Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @phillipbupp