Former Top Gear host James May has spoken out about the BBC’s decision not to continue production on the long-running show.
On Tuesday afternoon, the corporation confirmed they were “resting” Top Gear indefinitely, after presenter Freddie Flintoff was seriously injured in an accident on set last year.
Per The Sun, James – who hosted the show for over a decade with Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond – reacted to the news on Tuesday evening, saying: “I can see why it’s a tricky one for the makers, but I can’t believe it’s gone forever.”
He added that he was “sad” to hear the show would not be continuing “because I was a big Top Gear watcher when I was a teenager in the 70s.”
In a statement issued alongside the news, the BBC said they were aware that “resting the show will be disappointing news for fans, but it is the right thing to do”.
James and his former co-host Richard Hammond stepped away from Top Gear in 2015. This followed the BBC’s decision not to renew Clarkson’s contract after he assaulted a Top Gear crew member while filming on location.
In the years since, the show has been hosted by an array of presenters including Chris Evans, Friends star Matt LeBlanc and the late Sabine Schmitz.
Top Gear had been presented by its latest team of Freddie Flintoff, Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris since 2019.
Speculation about the fate of Top Gear had been rife for around a year, with production having been suspended since Freddie Flintoff’s accident in December 2022.
Earlier this year, the BBC apologised to Freddie Flintoff, who reached a settlement reportedly worth £9 million with the broadcaster last month.