BBC TV and radio presenter Chris Evans has announced he is stepping down from Top Gear.
Warrington-born Evans announced on Twitter that he had given it his best shot, but “sometimes that’s not enough”.
Stepping down from Top Gear. Gave it my best shot but sometimes that's not enough. The team are beyond brilliant, I wish them all the best.
— Chris Evans (@achrisevans) July 4, 2016
Full steam ahead then with Radio 2, CarFest, Children In Need, 500 Words and whatever else we can dream up in the future.
— Chris Evans (@achrisevans) July 4, 2016
Mark Linsey, Director, BBC Studios, confirmed: “Chris is stepping down from his duties on Top Gear. He says he gave it his best shot doing everything he could to make the show a success. He firmly believes that the right people remain, on both the production team and presenting team to take the show forward and make it the hit we want it to be. The new series has so far notched up over 30m views in the UK alone and has already been sold to 130 territories worldwide.
Evans added in a statement: “I have never worked with a more committed and driven team than the team I have worked with over the last twelve months. I feel like my standing aside is the single best thing I can now do to help the cause. I remain a huge fan of the show, always have been, always will be. I will continue to focus on my radio show and the allied events that it encompasses.”
His resignation comes after falling ratings, with just 1.9million tuning in for the series finale last night.
Evans took over the job as host of the BBC’s most popular global hit following the sacking of Jeremy Clarkson last year. He had hosted alongside former Friends star Matt LeBlanc, who may now be in line to take over.
