Last week, it was rumored that "Top Gear" host and "Friends" star Matt LeBlanc is looking to leave the show lest his co-host, Chris Evans steps down from his position. It seems that the behind-the-scenes drama continues to unfold, as Evans tweeted about his departure from the BBC show.
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
Evans tried to downplay the news by mentioning other projects he is involved in, including "The Chris Evans Breakfast Show" on BBC Radio 2, his fundraiser "Children in Need" that benefits disabled children and the youth across the U.K., and the BBC writing competition, 500 Words.
According to BBC, "Top Gear" has had the lowest ratings this season with last Sunday's episode yielding an average of 1.9 million viewers, a mediocre number compared to its all time high of seven million. The show debuted in 2002 as a reboot of the original 1977 show, and was hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May.
In March 2015, BBC refused to renew Clarkson's contract due to his misconduct. Hammond and May, along with then executive producer Andy Wilman, decided decided to leave the show as well, and create their own motoring show that went on to become "The Grand Tour." Come June 2015, BBC announced that Chris Evans was on board to host the show, with a three-year contract to boot.
However, the addition of Evans to the show was met with criticism by fans, who mostly took to social media to call for his resignation. Now that he will step down, it seems that LeBlanc has nothing else to worry about, except probably the impending renewal of the show. "Top Gear" aired the last episode of Series 23 aired last Sunday, and there has been no word on when Series 24 will premiere.
