The British radio and TV personality Chris Evans has been named the new presenter of the motoring magazine show Top Gear, replacing Jeremy Clarkson.
Chris Evans, who is largely unknown in South Africa and the rest of Africa, and the BBC signed a three year deal, following Jeremy Clarkson who was fired earlier this year in March after getting into a physical fight with a Top Gear producer.
Chris Evans earlier denied reports that he is joining Top Gear and said him joining Top Gear as new presenter "was never going to happen".
The new 23rd season of Top Gear will start production soon, and will be shown worldwide through BBC Worldwide, the BBC's global commercial arm, on channels like BBC Entertainment (DStv 120).
"I'm thrilled, Top Gear is my favorite program of all time," says Chris Evans in a statement. "Created by a host of brilliant minds who love cars and understand how to make the massively complicated come across as fun, devil-may-care and effortless. When in fact, of course, it's anything but and that's the genius of Top Gear's global success."
Chris Evans says that he would continue to "respect what has gone on before and take the show forward."
"I'm so delighted that Chris Evans will be presenting the next series of Top Gear," says Kim Shillinglaw, controller of the BBC TV channels, BBC Two and BBC Four.
"His knowledge of and passion for cars is well-known, and combined with his sheer inventiveness and cheeky unpredictability he is the perfect choice to take our much-loved show into the future."
