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Chris Evans has been speaking on his Radio 2 breakfast show about how his new role as the next host of Top Gear came about. Here are a few highlights...

"It took me by surprise as much as if not more than anyone else."

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"Last Thursday Will [Macdonald] and I from TFI Friday were in my house and we were writing the penultimate draft of the TFI Friday script and running order.

"I got a text from Mark Linsey who is the head of entertainment at BBC TV. It basically said, 'would you be interested at all in having a Top Gear conversation?'

Now I had never ever been offered the Top Gear job before that."

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"Mark explained to me that the situation had changed in the last 24 hours, because Richard [Hammond] and James [May] had finally ruled themselves out of a return to Top Gear.

Before that they were very much considering returning, the BBC had made an offer to them and I was aware of that.

I wanted them to return. I wanted Top Gear to carry on, as a fan."