Who Are the Current Hosts of Top Gear UK?
Top Gear is back and better than ever, or so the BBC hopes. Top Gear is a British television series that includes car reviews, challenges, races, and celebrity timed laps. The show was originally conceived by Jeremy Clarkson, who served as a long-time host on the show. Clarkson was ingloriously fired after punching an Irish producer. The show is now back for its 27th series with three new hosts.
Read on to learn more about the hosts are reimagining the iconic series.
Freddie Flintoff
Freddie Flintoff, also known as Andrew Flintoff, brings impressive credentials to his position as a new Top Gear host. Flintoff is most well-known for his time spent playing cricket, but he has also been a presenter and broadcaster.
Flintoff began his cricket career in 1995. After racking up honors year after year, Flintoff retired from cricket in 2012 and tried his hand at professional boxing. He returned to cricket for one final year in 2014. While Flintoff’s career stats are not earth-shattering, he was most well-known for his uplifting attitude and ability to return cricket to popularity in England.
Flintoff turned his passions to broadcasting, appearing on the BBC sports panel show, A League of Their Own and the BBC One documentary the Hidden Side of Sport. Flintoff’s efforts to become a professional boxer were also documented in Flintoff: From Lord’s To The Ring. In his one year return to cricket, Flintoff took the opportunity to flex his broadcasting muscle, joining Channel TEN’s commentary team.
Over the next several years, Flintoff took his television talents to Australia and then back to England, participating in a number of shows and presenter roles. He even dabbled in acting and singing, including in the musical Fat Friends, which toured the U.K. in 2018.
Flintoff’s most recent position as host of Sky One’s Carnage brought him much closer to the automotive world. The show brings together engineers, mechanics, and drivers to transform cars into battle-ready vehicles. This primed him perfectly to step into his new role as Top Gear host.
Paddy McGuinness
Paddy McGuinness is a seasoned comedian with an impressive television history. McGuinness kicked off his comedy career in Channel 4’s The Comedy Lab in 1998. He was able to secure a role as a doorman in That Peter Kay Thing. This small role turned into the spin-off series Phoenix Nights. Continuing the theme, this turned into yet another spinoff, Max and Paddy – the Road To Nowhere.
This early success led McGuinness to pursue a solo stand-up tour, including 108 performances across the U.K. He also produced a comedy stand-up DVD that was a bestseller. McGuinness saw continued success in the stand-up world with several tours and rave reviews.
McGuinness kept his foot in the world of television, contributing to numerous popular TV shows and producing two series of the movie parody series The Keith and Paddy Picture Show. McGuinness’s humor and experience make him a perfect fit to bring energy and entertainment to this season of Top Gear.
Chris Harris
Chris Harris is the only member of the new host trio that has experience as a Top Gear presenter. Harris was part of the presenting line-up in Series 23 of the show. Of the three hosts, Harris brings the most motoring experience. He has been a car journalist and racing driver.
Harris’s is most well-known as a public figure from his YouTube channel, Chris Harris on Cars. Along with friend Neil Carey, the channel was launched in 2014 and has over 400k subscribers. He easily fills the role of authority in this space given his experience as a racing driver.
Supplementing his Top Gear hosting duties, Harris is also responsible for the online car review series Chris Harris Drives. Harris’s straightforward and discerning taste means that consumers can trust his opinions. This makes Harris an ideal host for Top Gear, bringing expertise and honesty to the show.
Time will tell if the unique talents of Flintoff, McGuinness, and Harris come together to create an amazing hosting trio. All current signs point to success.