Jeremy Clarkson has now revealed something about “Top Gear” that’s been a secret for 10 years – the identity of The Stig, that silent, anonymous auto reviewer who has actually been played by three actors during the show’s run.
LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 17: The Stig poses next to a giant statue of The Stig. May 17, 2016 in London, England. Photo by Ben A. Pruchnie/Getty Images).
Getty Images
At a Q&A during a screening at Jeremy Clarkson’s pub in England of The Grand Tour’s final episode, we learned it’s Phil Keen, a British professional racing driver who currently competes in the European Le Mans Series and is the most successful driver in British GT history, having three times finished runner-up in the top class.
The first two Stigs were Perry McCarthy, the British Le Mans and Formula 1 driver, and Ben Collins, the British racing driver and stunt ace.
McCarthy’s Stig was notable for being the only Stig to wear a black racing suit, but he only lasted two seasons. Mr. Collins was eventually fired from Top Gear in 2010 after giving up his anonymity as The Stig in his autobiography The Man in the White Suit.
The Appeal of Clarkson, And “Top Gear”
What’s not to love about Jeremy Clarkson? The co-host says he loves something when he loves it. When he hates it, we can fully expect the sort of disdain only the English can properly master, like referring to a “Lexus ES Something or Other” as “a Prius in a businessman’s suit” and saying its performance is “not even on nodding terms with the concept of speediness.”
PERTH, AUSTRALIA – JULY 17: Jeremy Clarkson arrives at a media call on July 17, 2015 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Faith Moran/GC Images)
GC Images
That’s actually mild compared to some of the stuff he’s gotten in hot water for saying through the years, and not just about cars.
The most notorious co-hosts – there have been many – are James May and Richard Hammond who provided insight, reactions, teasing and balance. But Clarkson has always dominated the televised episodes not only with his 6’5 height but his utter seeming lack of caring about what anyone thinks or who he offends.
We like guys like this in America.
Here are five fun and useful facts to know about “Top Gear”.
One Of The Original Hosts Was A Woman
Angela Rippon, a renowned U.K. broadcaster, presented the first two seasons along with co-host Tom Coyne.
The Hosts Don’t Get Free Test Cars
Most auto journalists in America receive test vehicles for their purposes. But the BBC rules prohibited Top Gear from such perks.
The Crashes Are Real
In 2006, co-host Richard Hammond crashed a jet-powered Vampire dragster at 288 MPH. He was in an induced coma for two weeks and missed the rest of that season. Details of the crash were deliberately kept vague then and now, but we know Hammond eventually recovered enough to re-join the cast. Apparently, a blown-out front tire caused the crash.
Top Gear Is In The Guinness World Records
In 2013, Guinness World Records crowned the show the “Most widely watched factual T.V. program in the world.” The show’s audience comprises an unbelievable 212 countries and territories worldwide, from Guatemala to Ghana, Myanmar to Moldova.
“Stig” was originally named “The Gimp”.
Since “the Gimp” is now synonymous with the guy from “Pulp Fiction” hanging from a ceiling in a leather suit who gets punched by Bruce Willis, the jettisoning of that name in favor of “Stig” was a good move.
This article was originally published on forbes.com.
