On January 25th, episode one of Top Gear’s brand new series will be broadcast in the UK on BBC Two. This much you know.

But if you’re not in the UK, fear not. This first episode will also broadcast simultaneously in more than 50 countries across Australia, Africa and the Middle East, meaning more people than ever will be able to watch Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, James May and The Stig at exactly the same time.

Not just that, but countries across Asia including Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, Korea, Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea and Mongolia will, for the first time in ever, air the episode within 24 hours of the UK transmission.

If you simply can’t wait until the 25th, you’ll know by now that on Sunday 18 January - yes, that’s this Sunday - we’re also hosting a very special one-off show called ‘An Evening With Top Gear’; an exclusive preview of Series 22 where Jeremy, Richard and James preview clips from the new series and answer questions from across the globe in front of a live audience, right here in London. In the evening.

“Other globally popular television shows have cunning ways of launching their new seasons, such as world tours and the like,” explains Jeremy. “But I thought of an easier way to let the planet know we’re back - the interweb!

“Fond as I am of passport control queues and restricting my carry-on liquids to 100ml, I much preferred the idea of driving one mile from my home in London to celebrate this series with fans everywhere at the same time,” he added.

Hammond, geed up by the prospect of spending his Sunday evening with Jeremy, said: “It’s important that we remind everyone that Top Gear is back, because I feel we’ve been starved of attention lately. I’m looking forward to talking to fans from around the world and finding out what exactly appeals to them about watching three middle-aged men repeatedly fall over.”

James May added: “Using the internet to talk to our fans from around the world is a brilliant idea. It’s exactly what the internet is for. In fact, I’m not sure why I have to drive to a Victorian theatre and sit on an uncomfortable chair to do this. Someone hasn’t thought this through.”

You can watch the entire event broadcast globally on TopGear.com, the Top Gear YouTube channel and our Facebook and Twitter accounts at 21:00 GMT this Sunday 18 January. If you’re in the UK you can also watch it on the BBC’s Red Button or on the BBC iPlayer.