Matt LeBlanc To Leave ‘Top Gear’ After Next Season
The BBC’s premier motoring show ‘Top Gear‘ will be hunting for a new presenter after next season it has been announced. Matt LeBlanc is set to leave the series once filming on Season 26 is complete.
It would appear that the time commitments and it taking him away from his family are the main reasons for him deciding to quit the show. “My experience on Top Gear has been great fun,” commented Matt. “I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the whole team. However, the time commitment and extensive travel required to present Top Gear takes me away from my family and friends more than I’m comfortable with. It’s unfortunate, but for these reasons, I will not be continuing my involvement with the show. I will forever be a Top Gear fan and I wish the team continued success. Thanks for a great drive.”
Matt first joined the show in 2016 following the… “unfortunate incident”… which saw Clarkson fired and May & Hammond quit the show. Originally hosting alongside Chris Evans, he took over main hosting duties along with Rory Reid and Chris Harris following Evan’s departure after one season.
The BBC aren’t leaving Harris and Reid to continue as a duo though. “I want to thank the fabulous Matt LeBlanc for being a brilliant co-host on Top Gear,” commented BBC Two controller Patrick Holland. “Matt has thrown himself into the show with real passion, revealing his extraordinary car knowledge and a willingness to get down and dirty. We were always going to be borrowing him from his day job as one of the top comic actors in Hollywood so I wish him all the very best. The next series of Top Gear (Matt’s last) promises to be something very special and we have great plans to welcome a new co-host to join the team for 2019 and beyond.”
I’m sure the bookies are already setting up bets as to who will get the job. We’ll let you know when we have more.
