---
title: "Your Guide to Top Gear’s New Presenter Lineup"
description: "The BBC has finally finalized the new hosts. Here’s your cheat sheet."
date: "2016-02-11"
modified: "2016-02-11"
authors:
  - name: "Jonathan Schultz"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jonathan-schultz"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/article/2144/your-guide-to-top-gears-new-presenter-lineup"
categories:
  - "Culture"
  - "News"
  - "People"
tags:
  - "Top Gear"
---

# Your Guide to Top Gear’s New Presenter Lineup

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/archive-images/021116-top-gear-hosts-hero.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Ladies and gentlemen, please be upstanding for your new *BBC Top Gear* presenters—or hosts, if you hail from LeBlanc Country. Hey, how are they going to square that guy? Will dude ever mutter the word “[conkers](<https://www.topgear.com/videos/top-gear-tv/caravan-conkers-series-5-episode-4>)?” Can he keep his [Hilux](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/1418/what-would-jesus-drive>) straight from his [Taco](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/1439/10-most-googled-cars-of-2015>)? How many times in the premiere will the writers push him into hapless-buffoon Joey mode? We’ll find out in May, when LeBlanc, Nürburgring queen Sabine Schmitz, YouTube hero Chris Harris, ex-Formula 1 team owner Eddie Jordan, top banana Chris Evans and—shock horror—public-audition survivor Rory Reid are beamed into the world’s households [for the first time](<https://www.topgear.com/car-news/top-gear-tv/meet-your-new-top-gear-presenters>).

There has been much hand-wringing among the TG faithful since the ignominious departures of Sirs Clarkson, Hammond and May last year, saying nothing of longtime show producer-cum-ideas-man Andy Wilman. The [“fracas”](<https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/mar/25/jeremy-clarkson-fracas-report-full-text-bbc-macquarrie>) between Clarkson and assistant producer Oisin Tymon—the fateful wing-flutter in what became a BBC-engulfing butterfly effect—begat these last 11 months of upheaval. Jezza has since [decamped to Amazon Prime](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/457/ex-top-gear-hosts-resurface-with-fast-things>), where a new car show will keep him rolling in the big dosh; the new *Top Gear* host slate was the last piece to fall in the melodrama. Now that it has, the BBC need only guarantee that the new show isn’t utter shit.

Herewith, a handy primer to the personalities that will either make or break *Top Gear*.

**Chris Evans**

*• Nationality:* British

*• Prior and/or Additional Employments:* Host of Channel 4’s *Big Breakfast*; host of the *Radio 1 Breakfast Show*; host of Channel 4 TV’s *TFI Friday*; collector of vintage Ferraris, mostly white ones.

*• Why Was He Cast?* Evans let James May [drive his Ferrari 250 California](<https://www.topgear.com/videos/james-may/james-drives-ferrari-250-california-series-18-episode-7>). Oh, and he’s also among Britain’s most recognizable TV personalities, and is a fixture of vintage-motoring confabs like the Goodwood Revival. Think of him as Britain’s Jay Leno, but with slightly less chin. He’s also a ginger.

**Eddie Jordan**

*• Nationality*: British

*• Prior and/or Additional Employments:* Former team principal of Jordan Grand Prix, which gave a young German hot shoe named Schumacher his first ride in Formula 1. Analyst of F1 for BBC Sport.

*• Why Was He Cast?* Jordan is a racing guy’s racing guy, but also someone who can make people who couldn’t give a toss about motorsport watch him—which has always been *Top Gear*’s greatest weapon; it gets your girlfriend watching, too.

**Sabine Schmitz**

*• Nationality*: German

*• Prior and/or Additional Employments:* The unofficial taxi driver at Germany’s Nürburgring Nordschleife. World Touring Car Championship competitor; she can make a Chevy Cruze move like a Corvette ZR1.

*• Why Was She Cast?* Her parents own a steakhouse adjacent to the Nürburgring that will serve you a raw steak on a glowing-hot stone. Also, her 10 minute 8 second [lap of the ‘Ring in a Ford Transit van](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KiC03_wVjc>) is the stuff of *TG* legend.

**Matt LeBlanc**

*• Nationality*: ‘Murican

*• Prior and/or Additional Employments:* Heinz Ketchup spokesman; friend; fourth-wall destroyer on Showtime’s *[Episodes](<https://www.sho.com/sho/episodes/cast/7017/matt-leblanc>)*.

*• Why Was He Cast?* LeBlanc turned in the fastest [Star in a Reasonably Priced Car](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3buyynp6hU4>) time ever in 2012, a mark that still stands. Translation: Joey can wheel. He’s also an avid collector, and uses his social media presence primarily as a dumping ground for his car and motorcycle love. Also, if *Top Gear* is going to penetrate the U.S. market, it can’t hurt to have a colonial on board.

**Chris Harris**

*• Nationality*: British

*• Prior and/or Additional Employents*: Columnist for *evo* magazine; avid tweeter at [@harrismonkey](<https://twitter.com/harrismonkey?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor>); occasional [gentleman racer](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNnsSRIWqbI>); annointer of “[whole new things](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufVQ-UKZbro>).”

*• Why Was He Cast?* The camera loves Harris, who began producing irreverent, deeply knowledgeable video reviews for *evo*, and parlayed that into a rabid YouTube fanbase. Among enthusiasts, his name was floated more than most when it was learned that May, Clarkson and Hammond would need replacing.

**Rory Reid**

*• Nationality*: British

*• Prior and/or Additional Employments*: Editor of U.K. car and consumer-tech site [Recombu](<https://recombu.com>); spoken word artist of dubious talent, at least [when reviewing Rolls-Royces](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd_6P_AQj6U>).

*• Why Was He Cast?* Reid, easily the [least recognizable](<https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/top-gear/who-is-rory-reid/>) of the presenter slate, passed through *Top Gear*’s open-audition process, which ironically may make him the most qualified to be onscreen. Funny, innit?

**The Stig**

*• Nationality*: Uh…

*• Prior and/or Additional Employments:* Erm…

*• Why Was He Cast?* Because [this](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xE5bdcVC0ts>).

## Author
Deputy Editor. Previously held editorial positions at BBC.com and the New York Times. Brakes for whoopie pies.

### Author social links