New Top Gear presenter Chris Evans is a little tyre-d of the criticism he has faced since he took the wheel – but he has insisted people actually “love” the revamped show and he doesn’t care about the critics.

Chris has been under fire from the media and viewers since the first new episode of Top Gear aired, with negative reviews and disappointing viewing figures.

But he told BuzzFeed: “I find it hilarious that people who have never made a show in their lives then presume what is right and what is wrong with the making of a television programme.

“Everyone is entitled to their opinions, course they are … Those people have a loudhailer and that’s fine, and by the way, bring it on. That’s what I expected.”

He added: “I’ve got enough feedback back to know that enough people like it and love it, actually.”

Chris said he had anticipated criticism from viewers and the media from the moment he took over the show, replacing fan favourite Jeremy Clarkson.

“I thought it was going to happen, yeah,” he admitted.

“I mean, I didn’t really contemplate on what scale, but no, I was aware of it. Course I was. Bloody hell. Absolutely.”

He added: “There will be an audience churn. People will make their minds up. I don’t know when, as this is unprecedented in the world of entertainment, it’s really never happened on this scale before.”

Chris also insisted it is unfair to say Top Gear has poor ratings.

Overnight ratings show that the second instalment of the BBC Two motoring programme drew 2.8 million viewers, losing around a third of the 4.4 million who watched its relaunch on May 29.

He tweeted:

Top Gear audience grew throughout the hour. FACT. Won its slot. FACT. Still number one on i Player. FACT. These are THE FACTS folks. — Chris Evans (@achrisevans) May 30, 2016

Chris said that catch-up makes all the difference.

“We have programmes that we identify as programmes we will watch at any time, all our favourite Netflix stuff like House Of Cards, The Affair, Breaking Bad, Marseille,” he said.

“Top Gear is very very much one of those programmes.”

He argued that fans should give the show more time to settle in – and gather steam.

“Once last week’s episode fizzles away into the universe, because that is the only way it is going to disappear is when the planet disappears, it would have been watched by hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of millions more people than when it was first broadcast,” he said.

“So now the initial broadcast of a programme like Top Gear is the seed, and it will grow into a forest for just the one episode afterwards.

“It is that inaccurate to judge a programme from its first broadcast.”