Cape Town – After weeks of speculation it has finally been confirmed that radio host Chris Evans will be the new presenter for Top Gear.
And before we say anything else we have to clear up the identity issue, this Chris Evans is not to be confused with the one who plays Captain America.
With that out of the way here are 5 things you need to know about the new host.
1. He initially turned down the job.
When rumours first started buzzing Chris denied that he would replace Jeremy Clarkson, who is a good friend of his. He only agreed to the job after it was confirmed that Richard Hammond and James May will not be returning to the show.
2. He was on London’s Rich List.
At the age of 33 he was a multimillionaire. He founded a television production company in 1994 called Ginger Productions which he sold in 2000 for £225m (R4.36bn).
3. He is a classic car connoisseur.
Chris has an impressive collection of classic, vintage and novelty cars. In 2010 he bought the most expensive car in Britain, a vintage Ferrari 250 GT.
4. He’s made a few headlines himself.
Chris is no stranger to controversy. He has also been in trouble with the BBC. After having a 17-hour pub crawl with his Radio 1 team he missed work and was fined £7 000. His personal life also raised some eyebrows when he married singer turned actress Billie Piper when she was 18 and he 34.
5. He has the blessing of the former Top Gear team.
Chris revealed on his breakfast show that he texted each of the former members of the Top Gear team before the announcement was made. They reportedly wished him good luck.
Well: best of luck to @achrisevans and the future of Top Gear (b. 1977). That's a ballsy call, frankly, and to be admired.
— James May (@MrJamesMay) June 16, 2015
(Sources: The Telegraph, Time, BBC News)
(Photos: Getty Images/Universal Pictures)