Despite initially ruling himself out of the running, the Ferrari-obsessed DJ, broadcaster and presenter has been named as Jeremy Clarkson's replacement on the BBC's wildly popular motoring show.

In a statement, the BBC announced that Chris Evans had signed a three-year deal to lead "A new Top Gear line up" suggesting that true to their word, existing co-hosts James May and Richard Hammond have decided not to renew their contracts to continue fronting the show.

Of his appointment, Evans said: "I promise I will do everything I possibly can to respect what has gone on before and take the show forward."



One of the BBC's most popular TV shows both in the UK and beyond, it is estimated that as many as 135 million people watch the show illegally, via torrent or streaming sites each week.

The success of the programme is thanks largely to Clarkson who reinvigorated the motoring show format when the show launched in its current form 2000 and was the driving force behind its subsequent success.

However, due to a physical altercation with a producer while filming a segment for the show in March, Clarkson was suspended and then dropped from the show leaving the current series half finished.