Report: Matt LeBlanc threatens to quit Top Gear unless Chris Evans is ousted

By Imad Khan June 27, 2016

new top gear matt leblanc chris evans removed — Top Gear/YouTube

It seems that Matt LeBlanc and Chris Evans aren’t the best of “friends” on Top Gear.

According to The Sun, LeBlanc is threatening to quit Top Gear if Evans is allowed to stay on for season 24.

LeBlanc has become increasingly frustrated with Evans’ rude behavior toward the team and has issued an ultimatum to BBC officials, according to The Sun. The BBC has already agreed to pay LeBlanc for two seasons, meaning that they must choose between the two co-hosts. “The big question now is who goes and who stays” a show source told The Sun. “The team does not gel at all, and the atmosphere between the presenters is decidedly frosty. It’s very much a picture of him — Chris — and them.”

While the new Top Gear has been off to a shaky start, both Chris Harris and Rory Reid, hosts of Top Gear: Extra Gear, have received lots of praise. According to the report: “[Evans] also seems to be jealous of the attention and praise which has been heaped on Chris Harris and Rory Reid in particular since the show began. You would have thought that with his experience, he would help out those new to studio recording. But he doesn’t encourage them in any way. He just isn’t interested. He doesn’t even hang out with the others backstage and firmly keeps his distance from all of them at the aerodrome.”

The Sun has been a bit salacious with its reporting of past Top Gear incidents. One report claimed Evans yelled profanities at the audience, which was never substantiated.

Top Gear isn’t just the most popular motoring show, it’s the most popular show in the world, period. In 2015, it had an estimated global audience of 350 million viewers. Former presenter Jeremy Clarkson was quickly fired after a “fracas” with a producer. A new cast was assembled, but they lacked the same chemistry that many viewers had become accustomed to over the years. Ratings for the new Top Gear have been slipping, hitting a record low, although the latest episode saw a slight bump.

The current state of Top Gear is uncertain, but for fans who have missed the original trio, Amazon’s The Grand Tour should premiere sometime later this year.

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