And The New Presenter On Top Gear is… Matt LeBlanc

Never let it be said that Chris Evans doesn’t think outside the box! The BBC today announced the first person to be joining the Radio 2 DJ as co-host of Top Gear is Matt LeBlanc. Yes, the one from Friends, and the excellent Episodes.

This isn’t the first time Matt has appeared on Top Gear, having taken the ‘Star In A Reasonably Priced Car’ challenge twice on the show already, setting a still unbeaten 1m42.1sec in the Kia C’eed. He said of the appointment “As a car nut and a massive fan of Top Gear, I’m honoured and excited to be a part of this iconic show’s new chapter. What a thrill!” He also presented the recent standalone spin-off Top Gear: The Races for the BBC Store.

Chris remarked “Matt’s a lifelong fellow petrolhead and I’m thrilled he’s joining Top Gear. Acting out our craziest car notions on screen is a dream job and I know we’ll both be debating some epic road trip ideas. We can’t wait to share what we’ve been up to on screen later this year.”

Adding an well know, and liked American to the show makes sense, as Chris has expressed a wish to expand Top Gear’s US audience, although the appointment of actor rather than a motoring journalist to the line up has raised a few eyebrows in motoring circles.

Top Gear is expected to return in May.