Chris Evans has resigned from his position as Top Gear host, amid declining ratings for the BBC car show and a negative response from critics and viewers alike.
Evans made the announcement on Twitter, writing: “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.”
He added: “Full steam ahead then with Radio 2, CarFest, Children In Need, 500 Words and whatever else we can dream up in the future.”
Ratings for the show have continued to dip since it was rebooted without the trio of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May at the helm, who are set to appear in a new car show titled The Grand Tour in the autumn, which will be exclusive to Amazon Prime subscribers. The BBC were heavily criticized when it was announced that Evans would take over as the show’s host, and while the new series’ debut pulled in decent numbers, its latest episode drew in less than two million viewers.
Many cited Evans’ underwhelming turn as its host as a key factor in its poor performance, with the final episode of the new series being widely praised by many viewers, despite the criticisms of Evans’ hosting abilities continuing to roll in. Though the BBC have yet to release a statement regarding the radio DJ’s departure, it is believed that the show will retain the same line-up heading into season two, though with Matt LeBlanc replacing Evans as the show’s main host.
It’s uncertain whether or not this change will renew viewers’ interest into the show and help improve its ratings, but considering the lackluster response to Evans’ hosting skills, it’s difficult to see how LeBlanc could do a worse job at taking the helm of the show.
