BBC’s Top Gear faces radical new look after the departure of Chris Evans
'Christmas shows axed' in new shake up which will see 'young talent promoted'
THE BBC is planning radical changes to the next series of Top Gear including the shock promotion of two junior presenters, it's been claimed.
The channel also reportedly wants to introduce a regular celebrity road trip feature as it tries to salvage the show after the troubled last series fronted by Chris Evans.
The corporation is also now advertising for a new series producer who according to the ad must be able to “manage their own emotions in the face of pressure”.
Just a week after Evans quit the motoring show - after the audience sank to 1.9m - TV execs have reportedly already started to looks at ways to revive the programme.
And it's been claimed bosses have decided to scrap the popular Christmas specials in which the show’s old presenters, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, went on hilarious foreign jaunts.
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Instead, the corporation is said to be targeting a return to BBC Two early next spring - a time when audiences are typically higher than in summer.
The last series - which ended last Sunday - was dogged with scheduling clashes which even saw it go head-to-head with Euro 2016 matches.
The Daily Telegraph claims Executives are planning to tweak production duties, in which Evans’s responsibilities as “creative lead” will pass to Alex Renton, the long-serving series editor.
The BBC is also advertising for a new series producer.
The job description for the new role includes the requirement that the successful candidate “proactively offers constructive feedback to others”.
The document, seen by , says applicants should have the “ability to create a vision and inspire others to realise it irrespective of circumstances.
It goes on to state that the successful candidate must “maintain personal effectiveness by managing own emotions in the face of pressure, setbacks or when dealing with provocative situations”.
The BBC is also said to be close to securing Matt LeBlanc to stay as the international face of the show.