The BBC has axed the UK edition of Top Gear after last year’s on-set accident which saw presenter Freddie Flintoff hurt in a crash and filming on the series suspended.
The incident resulted in the broadcaster’s commercial arm making a substantial payout to the presenter and publicly apologising.
Flintoff joined the show in 2019 and has presented it alongside Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris ever since. The trio were the BBC’s third attempt to find a new presenting team to rival the popularity of former presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May.
After months of speculation, the broadcaster has now confirmed that it’s taken the decision “to rest the UK show for the foreseeable future”.
In a statement the broadcaster said that it “remains committed to Freddie, Chris and Paddy who have been at the heart of the show’s renaissance since 2019, and we’re excited about new projects being developed with each of them.
“We will have more to say in the near future on this. We know resting the show will be disappointing news for fans, but it is the right thing to do.”
The BBC says it will continue to produce international versions of the show as well as commercial activity around the brand.