Top Gear host James May "can’t believe" the show might be "gone forever".
James May would be sad if Top Gear never returns to TV
The 60-year-old TV star previously hosted the BBC series alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond before quitting in 2015 after Clarkson's contract was not renewed - and he's now weighed in on the news 'Top Gear' is being "rested" for the "foreseeable future" after presenter Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff was left seriously injured while filming a stunt last year.
According to The Sun newspaper, May said: "I can see why it’s a tricky one for the makers, but I can’t believe it’s gone forever. I think it’s sad because I was a big 'Top Gear' watcher when I was a teenager in the 70s."
May went on to insist he never had any safety fears while he was working on the programme. He added: "I don’t think we ever did anything dangerous. We used to take safety very seriously and I still know guys who have worked on it, and they do as well."
Freddie, 45, had been driving at 124mph at the 'Top Gear' test track at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey, South East England in December 2022 when he crashed and the accident left the sports star with several broken ribs and severe facial injuries.
Following the horror crash, the BBC stated that continuing production on 'Top Gear' would be "inappropriate" and a full health and safety review would be carried out.
The England cricketer - who presented alongside Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris - later reached a settlement with the BBC of an estimated £9 million over the accident.
Confirming Top Gear's future, the BBC said in a statement: "Given the exceptional circumstances, the BBC has decided to rest the UK show for the foreseeable future. “The BBC 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. “All other 'Top Gear' activity remains unaffected by this hiatus including international formats, digital, magazines and licensing.” The UK show is currently sold to more 150 territories and there are 11 local format versions including in France, America and Finland.
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