The Top Gear revival is confirmed: the BBC has announced the motoring show will return, four years after it was shelved following Freddie Flintoff’s on-set crash.
The announcement came at the 2026 Edinburgh TV Festival, where BBC director of entertainment Ed Havard confirmed the series was coming back, per IGN. He declined to discuss talent.
“There has been a lot of speculation about this and we can confirm that Top Gear is coming back.”
Ed Havard, BBC director of entertainment
Top Gear went off air after Flintoff was seriously injured when his three-wheeler overturned at Dunsfold Aerodrome during filming in 2022. He later received a reported £9 million settlement from the BBC. The last line-up — Flintoff, Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris — never filmed another series.
Why the Top Gear revival is happening
The back catalogue helps. Chief content officer Kate Phillips said old episodes remain one of the biggest draws on iPlayer, and that the audience wants the show back. The return also lands as Prime Video prepares its own comeback for The Grand Tour, the successor series that has carried Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May since 2015.
Will Jimmy Carr host the new Top Gear?
The Sun reported last week that BBC Studios was close to signing Carr, with a production source calling him “a real car buff” and the ideal host to take the show into a new era. Casting directors are reportedly considering a female presenter and online celebrities to join him.
Beyond a nod from Havard — he called Carr “a great host” — the BBC is saying nothing about talent. A BBC Studios spokesperson told Radio Times the company does not comment on speculation. The Sun reports a new season could air next year.
More details, Havard said, will follow “shortly”.
Is Top Gear coming back?
Yes. The BBC confirmed the revival at the 2026 Edinburgh TV Festival, four years after the show was shelved. A new series could air as early as next year, per The Sun, though the BBC has not confirmed a date.
Will Jimmy Carr host the new Top Gear?
Not confirmed. The Sun reports BBC Studios is close to signing Carr, and a BBC executive has called him “a great host”, but the corporation is not commenting on talent. Casting directors are reportedly also considering a female presenter and online celebrities.
Why was Top Gear stopped?
The show was shelved after presenter Freddie Flintoff was seriously injured when his three-wheeler overturned at Dunsfold Aerodrome while filming in 2022. He later received a reported £9 million settlement from the BBC.
