The unnamed friend told The Daily Telegraph that he was expecting the news, after the polarizing presenter had been brought low by constant criticism of his style on the revamped show.
They said: "Every single day he's been accused of something else. In the end you just think 'f*** off'.
"If the show had done better in the ratings, perhaps the battering would have been less fierce. Who knows."
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Chris Evans is revealed by a friend to have been brought low by the barrage of complaints about his presenting style on the revamped 'Top Gear'
BBC
Chris had initially resisted the critics’ barbs at the new show, saying the overnight ratings didn’t matter in the modern era of television, when so many people watch programmes on catch-up later.
However, he can’t have failed to spot that he was featured less and less in the series, with the editors opting to bring his co-presenters Matt LeBlanc, Chris Harris and Rory Reid centre-stage.
Indeed, RadioTimes reveals today that BBC bosses have no plan to replace Chris with another high-profile star, preferring to develop the roles of those already on board - good news for relatives newcomers Chris and Rory, as well as driverSabine Schmitz, as well as the blossoming Matt LeBlanc.
Despite this, the ratings have continued to plummet, culminating in a dismal 1.9million viewers for last night’s final episode, scheduled unfavourably against both the Iceland v FranceEuro 2016 quarter-final, and the evergreen ’Antiques Roadshow’.
In the end, he had little choice but to jump before he was pushed. Despite a three-year contract to present the show, he announced today he was stepping down, saying “I gave it my best shot, but sometimes that’s not enough.”
Tap the first picture below to open the slideshow:
'Top Gear': Possible Replacements For Chris Evans
Nigel Farage(01 of15)
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A pint-loving smoker who has his head stuck in the 1940s previously proved to be a success on the show, so why not employ someone exactly the same person?
Nigel Farage has virtually the same political views as Clarkson, so he'd probably be a good fit. Plus he's in technically unemployed now that he's resigned as UKIP leader. (credit:Isabel Infantes/EMPICS Entertainment)
Guy Martin(02 of15)
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The motorcycle racer has already emerged as the bookies' favourite to succeed Chris, with odds of 8/1 with William Hill. (credit:Channel 4)
Katie Hopkins(03 of15)
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If you're looking for someone who doesn't mind being purposefully offensive, look no further than Katie Hopkins. The controversy magnet hits the headlines more often than all the 'Top Gear' stars put together, normally because she's offended someone/a large group of people. (credit:Matt Crossick/Matt Crossick)
Piers Morgan(04 of15)
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If you've ever seen one of Piers' epic Twitter spats with Clarkson, you'll know he's remarkably similar in many ways. The same fashion sense, a similarly smug face, and all the rest of it. (credit:Matt Crossick/Matt Crossick)
Suzi Perry(05 of15)
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She's a massive car nut and has already cut her chops hosting the BBC's Formula One coverage, plus it's about time we evened up the gender ratio on the show. (credit:Doug Peters/Doug Peters)
Kanye West(06 of15)
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Potentially the only ego bigger than Chris Evans'. Or Clarkson's. (credit:Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)
Angela Rippon(07 of15)
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She did so well presenting it in 1977, why not bring her back? (credit:Doug Peters/Doug Peters)
Steve Coogan(08 of15)
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The veteran radio host's alter ego Steve Coogan is quite the petrol-head, having appeared on the show several times. But wouldn't it be great for the man from Norwich to take you around the 'Top Gear' track whining about "POWERRRR" is his trademark nasal voice? (credit:Doug Peters/Doug Peters)
Matthew Perry(09 of15)
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Because you doesn't want to see an on-screen reunion of Friends' Chandler and Joey, right? (credit:Ian West/PA Wire)
James Martin(10 of15)
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The telly chef, who is a big car fan, admitted he had talks about joining the BBC car show last year, but was tied to his commitments with 'Saturday Kitchen'. However, he's now quit his role as host of the cookery show, which could pave the way nicely for him to finally land the job. (credit:Hannah McKay/PA Wire)
Philip Glenister(11 of15)
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The 'Life On Mars' star was strongly rumoured to be joining Chris Evans last year, but the rumours proved to be unfounded. This could be his chance. (credit:Joel Ryan/AP)
David Hasselhoff(12 of15)
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The Hoff admitted he'd "love" the gig when it was up for grabs last time around, and he does have all that experience driving KITT in 'Knight Rider'. (credit:David Davies/PA Archive)
Jake Humphrey(13 of15)
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Jake has already fronted F1 coverage for the BBC and is a regular on the sport presenting scene, so is more than qualified for the job. (credit:Richard Sellers/EMPICS Sport)
John Inverdale(14 of15)
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Who better to take over from Clarkson's controversy-laden style than the man who brought us "rose-c***ed spectacles"? (credit:Mike Egerton/PA Archive)
Boris Johnson(15 of15)
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Well, he could do with a job. (credit:Matt Dunham/AP)