Top Gear’s lead presenter Chris Evans has quit after just one season of presenting the revamped motoring show.
Evans announced his move on Twitter this afternoon, saying: “stepping down from Top Gear. Gave it my best shot but sometimes that's not enough".
His departure comes after reports suggested there was mounting tension between him and co-host Matt LeBlanc. The show’s ratings have also dwindled since its first show in post-Clarkson, Hammond and May guise.
Evans concluded in his Tweet: “The team are beyond brilliant, I wish them all the best."
He added in an official statement: “I have never worked with a more committed and driven team than the team I have worked with over the last 12 months. I feel like my standing aside is the single best thing I can now do to help the cause.
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“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.”
Top Gear’s director, Mark Linsey, said: “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 more than 30 million views in the UK alone and has already been sold to 130 territories worldwide.”
Top Gear is yet to announce who will replace Evans as lead host. Linsey’s remarks suggest the cast might continue unchanged without Evans, with LeBlanc inheriting the lead role.
