The Stig joins Fifth Gear!

[russbeer]

There's one in your eye Clarkson!

HERE

The man who played Top Gear driver The Stig has joined rival show Fifth Gear.

Ben Collins, 35, will debut on the Five programme when the new series launches next week.

He will appear unmasked because The Stig is a BBC trademark.

'I'm delighted to be joining the Fifth Gear team,' he says. 'And I'm looking forward to a new set of exciting challenges...apparently with and without the helmet.

Former Formula Three star Ben was identified as The Stig last month after the BBC lost a High Court bid to block the publication of his forthcoming autobiography, in which he outs himself.

He is the second driver to take on the role - he slipped into the hot seat vacated by Formula 1's Perry McCarthy, 49, in 2003.

Top Gear bosses are expected to hire a new Stig now.

Fifth Gear starts on Friday 8 October at 7.30pm.

[evilsatan]

Haha, I can see some more inter-show rivalry on the horizon.

[tigger3]

I wonder if he'll be allowed to wear the mystery white suit? I assume the name 'Stig' is copyrighted to the bbc but if I was him I'd have 'Gits' on the suit.

Tig3

[SiE]

brilliant =D

[russbeer]

I wonder if he'll be allowed to wear the mystery white suit? I assume the name 'Stig' is copyrighted to the bbc but if I was him I'd have 'Gits' on the suit.

Tig3

He should be able to wear whatever suit he likes, it would be good if he did wear his original white one. Gits on the back would be a stroke of genius!

[Over Carl]

I wonder if he'll be allowed to wear the mystery white suit? I assume the name 'Stig' is copyrighted to the bbc but if I was him I'd have 'Gits' on the suit.

Tig3

You should email the gits idea to them - that would be quality!

[DJ OD]

Greedy petulant twat springs to mind...


DJ OD

[GTI]

Greedy petulant twat springs to mind...


DJ OD

To be fair, May, Hammond and Clarkson have all done pretty well off their various Top Gear spin offs... why is it wrong for Ben Collins to get a piece of that action?

[blaggard]

Great! Now they can get shot of Jason fucking Plato!

[Geko]

Fifth Gear is pretty shit.

[HELPERS]

Well i am going for the job-stig h3lpers the disabled stig

[GTI]

Fifth Gear is pretty shit.

Fifth Gear has its place in covering the vast middle sector of the car buying market, because I personally don't give a fuck about Bugatti Veyrons, Ferraris, Lambos etc..

[EvilBoB]

Hope he turns up on set with an "I AM THE STIG" t-shirt lol. That would be epic!

[Mr 250]

More like "I WAS THE STIG"

[Geko]

Fifth Gear has its place in covering the vast middle sector of the car buying market, because I personally don't give a fuck about Bugatti Veyrons, Ferraris, Lambos etc..

You use Fifth Gear to help you purchase a car?


I prefer Top Gear, as it's better entertainment. Fifth Gear is watchable for 10 mins. But gets boring. When I buy a car, I use a quick google and a test drive.

[russbeer]

I think what he meant was that fifth gear at least review cars that are affordable by the majority of the public. Not lads fantasy motors.

[SiE]

You use Fifth Gear to help you purchase a car?


I prefer Top Gear, as it's better entertainment. Fifth Gear is watchable for 10 mins. But gets boring. When I buy a car, I use a quick google and a test drive.

that may have been so a few years ago but the format is rechurned shite these days. It used to be one of my favourite shows but I quickly turn it off as the constant made up challenges and reused materials grate on me.

[lithho]

Fifth Gear is pretty shit.

no its very shit,

[Mickey]

Never watched 5th gear so cant really coment on how crap it is /was. The new show will grab new viewers just to see what the stig will look like. I`m guessing the appeal wont last long

[casio]

I wonder if clarkson and co will claim he had to go after Barrichello beat him in the last series, his punishment for this loss is the removal of the helmet and his consignment to a 2nd rate motoring show,

I get the idea that he wanted to make more of a profile for himself but he knew the rules when he signed the contract,

Personally, I honestly dont think its fair to either show to be comparared with the other, to me comparing them means comparing the content rather than the fact theyre both motoring shows. which to me is means its more "car porn" vs watchdog,

Like most people I have no problem watching an hour of car porn on a sunday night, im not going to buy a lambo or an ariel atom but watching some of the worlds most beautiful cars being driven in some of the most picturesque places by some genuine petrolheads is a recipe that works. Then throw in some banter and the unique way the bbc is funded means they can say what they want about the cars even if theyre not very good.

where as 5th gear has always been largely restricted by channel 5's advertisers and by the fact that they're the 'old' top gear with largely the same format which at the time it was cancelled on bbc2 wasnt working,

I know some are getting sick of the challenges on top gear, but 5th gear are as bad, everyweek they have Tiff cheating at everything and Plato (who I used to like) who comes over twat-ish. Then they have the tall bloke and the fat bloke comparing how un-mechanical they are but still get the job done. I they didnt have VBH, (yes I would until her fillings came loose) I dont think I'd bother watching,

If VBH re-replaced the stig I'd be ok with that