Claim: Chris Evans (presenter) hosted a programme.

Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles , primarily cars . It is a relaunched version of the original 1977 show of the same name , airing since 2002 , and has become the most widely watched factual television programme in the world . Since the relaunch , the conventional motoring magazine programme has developed a quirky , humorous and sometimes controversial style over time , and has become a significant show in British popular culture . During its first 22 series , the programme received acclaim for its visual style and presentation as well as criticism for its content and often politically incorrect commentary made by its former presenters Jeremy Clarkson , Richard Hammond , and James May . Columnist A. A. Gill , close friend of Clarkson and fellow Sunday Times columnist , described the programme as `` a triumph of the craft of programme making , of the minute , obsessive , musical masonry of editing , the French polishing of colourwashing and grading '' .   The show 's relaunched format was originally hosted by Clarkson , Hammond and Jason Dawe , with Andy Wilman as the show 's executive producer , and introduced an anonymous test driver known as `` The Stig '' ; although part of the line-up , `` The Stig '' has been played by numerous racing drivers over the course of the series . Following the first series , Dawe was replaced by May , and the hosting line-up remained unchanged until 25 March 2015 , when Clarkson was informed by the BBC that his contract would not be renewed following an incident between himself and a producer . Following Clarkson 's dismissal , his co-hosts Richard Hammond and James May , along with Andy Wilman , announced that they would not return to the show without him , and instead left to work alongside Clarkson to produce a new motoring series that would later be known as The Grand Tour . Following their departure , Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc took over as the new hosts for the 23rd series , with Rory Reid , Sabine Schmitz , Chris Harris and Eddie Jordan joining them in the series when needed . Following negative feedback for the series , Evans resigned , with the BBC choosing to retain the other five presenters and assigning LeBlanc , Harris and Reid as the main hosts for the 24th series .   First-run episodes are broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two and -LRB- from series 20 -RRB- BBC Two HD . From series 14 -- 19 , before the launch of the dedicated BBC Two HD channel , new episodes were also simulcast on BBC HD . The series is also carried on cable television systems in the United States via BBC America , in Latin America via BBC Entertainment and in Europe and South-East Asia via BBC Knowledge .