Top Gear to switch to BBC One
Top Gear presenters Freddie Flintoff and Chris Harris revealed on BBC Breakfast that the world’s biggest motoring entertainment show is moving to BBC One for its 29th series later this year.
The line up of Paddy McGuinness, Freddie Flintoff and Chris Harris has been a hit with viewers and critics alike, and their debut series on BBC2 last year attracted an average audience of 3.8 million viewers, making it the channel’s most popular programme of 2019. The entertainment show also struck a chord with the younger 16-34-year olds audience, a market the beeb is looking to attract.
Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC Content says :
"The time is right to move the world's best motor show to the nation's most popular channel and bring it to an even broader audience on BBC One. Freddie, Paddy and Chris have revitalised the hit series with their escapades and banter; and we couldn't have asked for a better response to their series so far and the impact it's had with young audiences."
The trio recently returned with even higher audience ratings, seeing the opening episode of their second series pull in an audience of more than 4.3 million, the highest for the show in 4 years. The Nepal Christmas Special, which saw the team embark on an epic high-altitude voyage from Kathmandu to the Forbidden City of Lo Manthang, delighted UK audiences when it aired in December.
Ralph Lee, Director of Content at BBC Studios Production, says:
“Paddy, Freddie and Chris’s effortless chemistry and humour has struck a chord with audiences of every age and taken the show somewhere special - so I suspect things will get bigger, better, and crazier when we arrive on BBC 1.”
Paddy, Freddie and Chris’s debut series of Top Gear has already been snapped up globally by over 100 countries including China, the U.S., South Africa, India, Australia and Germany.
Patrick Holland, Controller BBC 2 says:
"Revitalising Top Gear was one of my biggest priorities when I took over BBC Two and seeing Paddy, Fred and Chris make the show their own has been an utter joy. BBC Two is a place where unique shows can evolve and thrive before moving to even broader audiences on BBC One, it’s a vital part of the BBC portfolio."
