After years of British TV personalities, from Simon Cowell to Piers Morgan, invading screens on this side of the pond, American actor Matt LeBlanc will be the first American to host (UK) Top Gear joining Chris Evans. LeBlanc who played the affable goof Joey on NBC's massive hit show Friends, still holds the record for the fastest lap time among Stars in a Reasonably Priced Car beating Rowan Atkinson of Mr. Bean fame with his one minute 42.1 second lap in a Kia C'eed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3buyynp6hU4
He is a self-described "car nut" and "massive fan" of the internationally popular franchise.
Top Gear is worth nearly a billion Canadian dollars to the BBC, and selling the show internationally and attracting new viewers is imperative to maintain that figure. The production will face stiff competition from "ex-wife" Jeremy Clarkson who took the proverbial kids, James May and Richard Hammond with him to Amazon where their new show is set to premiere later this year.
A BBC source tells The Guardian: “This takes Top Gear in a new direction. LeBlanc’s presence on the show will also be a boost when selling it internationally, particularly in the US where it is due to air on BBC America.”
The remaining cast members are still the subject of much speculation. Sabine Schmitz, the Nürburgring Queen, has widely been linked as a host, but in a radio interview, Schmitz said her involvement with Top Gear would be "not as a host"
LeBlanc will join the production team immediately ahead of the show's official unveiling later this month.
