‘Top Gear’ will return to screens on February 25.
The popular motoring show will make a comeback in less than three weeks’ time at 8pm on BBC Two as Matt LeBlanc, Chris Harris and Rory Reid attempt to build the world’s fastest tractor, navigate America’s Wild West in shiny new V8 sports cars and attempt to land a NASA research plane.
The six-hour long episodes will be shot in the UK, Japan, America and Italy over the next coming months.
Bosses are no doubt hoping this year’s series goes down well with viewers as it has been hit with numerous changes over the past two years as the original presenting line up – Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May – were given the chop and the replacement Chris Evans walked out just a few episodes into the series.
Matt’s return won’t come as too much of a surprise to fans as the show’s boss Patrick Holland said last year that he loved the trio working together.
He said at the time: "The audience appreciation scores are far bigger than they were last year. The audience is much younger. It has had a real growth in under 34s and under 16s. The doubt at the beginning, the fear when a show comes back is will the audience grow to like this new presenting combo? And we are starting again this year. And I think they really have and Chris and Rory have grown and Matt has made it his own show. We are turning over a new leaf, I think Chris and Rory have been fantastic, I think Matt has really been terrific on the films. I think he really started to enjoy the studios more and more."
And Chris – who walked away from the show just 12 months into his three-year contract – recently revealed him walking away did them a favour because more people are tuning in to the show now that it’s become more about cars.
He said: "It’s a bit more car-orientated so the petrolheads are enjoying it. It’s never going to satisfy the full petrolhead audience but the car is at the centre of the show."
Although a release date has yet to be confirmed, the show will be returning to BBC Two this year and will feature celebrity guests and supercars.