The new series of Chris Evans’s new-look Top Gear has been caught up in more controversy amid claims “canned laughter” was inserted to cover up “awkward silences”.

Recordings of hysterical laughter are said to have been inserted into the first episode by producers when the audience failed to laugh at jokes by new presenters Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc.

The first episode of the BBC’s motoring series was critically panned and drew in 4.4million viewers– the lowest figures for a series debut in more than a decade.

It comes as leaked BBC audience data supposedly ranked the show as the 'worst' on terrestrial television last weekend.