This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jun/17/chris-evans-top-gear-bbc-jeremy-clarkson-richard-hammond
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Chris Evans 'ruled out Top Gear to avoid becoming a pawn in a chess game' | Chris Evans 'ruled out Top Gear to avoid becoming a pawn in a chess game' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Chris Evans, the new presenter of BBC2’s Top Gear, has said he previously “100%” ruled himself out of the job because he did not want to be a “pawn in a chess game” involving Jeremy Clarkson. | Chris Evans, the new presenter of BBC2’s Top Gear, has said he previously “100%” ruled himself out of the job because he did not want to be a “pawn in a chess game” involving Jeremy Clarkson. |
| The Radio 2 DJ said he was only offered the job last week but admitted he had also had a text soon after the Clarkson controversy blew up, from “somebody very high up at the BBC” asking whether he would be interested in the role. | The Radio 2 DJ said he was only offered the job last week but admitted he had also had a text soon after the Clarkson controversy blew up, from “somebody very high up at the BBC” asking whether he would be interested in the role. |
| Evans said he had contacted Clarkson and the show’s fellow former presenters Richard Hammond and James May, before Tuesday’s announcement that he was taking the role. Clarkson told him: “I knew you would, best of luck.” | Evans said he had contacted Clarkson and the show’s fellow former presenters Richard Hammond and James May, before Tuesday’s announcement that he was taking the role. Clarkson told him: “I knew you would, best of luck.” |
| Evans told Radio 2 listeners he was offered the job only after May and Hammond had ruled themselves out of a return to the show without Clarkson. | Evans told Radio 2 listeners he was offered the job only after May and Hammond had ruled themselves out of a return to the show without Clarkson. |
| Related: Chris Evans revealed as new presenter of Top Gear | Related: Chris Evans revealed as new presenter of Top Gear |
| He said the BBC’s controller of entertainment commissioning Mark Linsey had texted him at 4.07pm last week, “basically saying ‘would you be interested in having a Top Gear conversation?’” | He said the BBC’s controller of entertainment commissioning Mark Linsey had texted him at 4.07pm last week, “basically saying ‘would you be interested in having a Top Gear conversation?’” |
| “Now I have never ever been offered or had never been offered the Top Gear job before that,” he said. | “Now I have never ever been offered or had never been offered the Top Gear job before that,” he said. |
| “I had one brief text exchange about Top Gear with somebody very high up at the BBC, it was when what has now become infamous had just happened, and that was very short, very concise, saying if anything happened in the future, would you be up for a conversation?” | “I had one brief text exchange about Top Gear with somebody very high up at the BBC, it was when what has now become infamous had just happened, and that was very short, very concise, saying if anything happened in the future, would you be up for a conversation?” |
| He said Linsey had told him that the situation had changed because Hammond and May had ruled themselves out. | He said Linsey had told him that the situation had changed because Hammond and May had ruled themselves out. |
| “Mark explained to me that the situation had changed in the last 24 hours because Richard and James had finally ruled themselves out of a return to Top Gear,” he said. | |
| “Before that they were very much considering returning, the BBC had made an offer to them, I was aware of that, I wanted them to return as a fan. I honestly thought as a betting man that would happen.” | “Before that they were very much considering returning, the BBC had made an offer to them, I was aware of that, I wanted them to return as a fan. I honestly thought as a betting man that would happen.” |
| Evans said: “Whenever I said I categorically rule myself out of running for office, it was because I didn’t want to be a pawn in a chess game involving two – in fact three including Jeremy – of my friends. | Evans said: “Whenever I said I categorically rule myself out of running for office, it was because I didn’t want to be a pawn in a chess game involving two – in fact three including Jeremy – of my friends. |
| “I did not want to be involved in bookies’ odds, that’s not what the situation needed. I had to get out of that madness, let other people get involved in that,” he said. | “I did not want to be involved in bookies’ odds, that’s not what the situation needed. I had to get out of that madness, let other people get involved in that,” he said. |
| Related: Top Gear: BBC to air final Jeremy Clarkson episode on 28 June | Related: Top Gear: BBC to air final Jeremy Clarkson episode on 28 June |
| Evans said he immediately texted the three presenters to tell them he had been offered the job and accepted it, and said the three presenters responded by wishing him the best of luck with the job. | Evans said he immediately texted the three presenters to tell them he had been offered the job and accepted it, and said the three presenters responded by wishing him the best of luck with the job. |
| Evans told his listeners Clarkson said: “I knew you would, and best of luck”, adding that “he gave me a piece of advice which I’m not going to repeat on the radio to be honest”. | Evans told his listeners Clarkson said: “I knew you would, and best of luck”, adding that “he gave me a piece of advice which I’m not going to repeat on the radio to be honest”. |
| And he revealed he also got Hammond’s seal of approval. In a text Hammond, told Evans: “You were designed and built for that job and it will be great. It was also always the BBC’s very best option if you take it up, and I certainly don’t blame you for doing so. Good luck. Richard.” | And he revealed he also got Hammond’s seal of approval. In a text Hammond, told Evans: “You were designed and built for that job and it will be great. It was also always the BBC’s very best option if you take it up, and I certainly don’t blame you for doing so. Good luck. Richard.” |
| Evans also hinted at a possible return for James May. “James called me back straight away. We had a chat, we are going to meet up today or tomorrow to talk about things. Who knows what might happen there?” | Evans also hinted at a possible return for James May. “James called me back straight away. We had a chat, we are going to meet up today or tomorrow to talk about things. Who knows what might happen there?” |
| May, a family friend who recently went on holiday with the presenter, congratulated Evans and said it was a “ballsy” move by the BBC. | May, a family friend who recently went on holiday with the presenter, congratulated Evans and said it was a “ballsy” move by the BBC. |
| Well: best of luck to @achrisevans and the future of Top Gear (b. 1977). That's a ballsy call, frankly, and to be admired. | Well: best of luck to @achrisevans and the future of Top Gear (b. 1977). That's a ballsy call, frankly, and to be admired. |
| Evans said he will make 18 editions of Top Gear next year with the series due to return to BBC2 in March or April. | Evans said he will make 18 editions of Top Gear next year with the series due to return to BBC2 in March or April. |
| He said he would not be leaving the breakfast show but the motoring series’ rigorous shooting schedule will ask questions about his ability to combine both roles. | He said he would not be leaving the breakfast show but the motoring series’ rigorous shooting schedule will ask questions about his ability to combine both roles. |
| The last time Evans tried to combine a weekly TV show with a daily breakfast show was at Radio 1 in the 1990s, which culminated in him asking to take Fridays off to work on Channel 4’s TFI Friday. | The last time Evans tried to combine a weekly TV show with a daily breakfast show was at Radio 1 in the 1990s, which culminated in him asking to take Fridays off to work on Channel 4’s TFI Friday. |
| The disagreement with management and subsequent bust-up led to his departure from the BBC. | The disagreement with management and subsequent bust-up led to his departure from the BBC. |
| Radio 2 controller Bob Shennan said: “Chris is as committed to the Radio 2 breakfast show as he ever was. It’s great news all round for the BBC.” | Radio 2 controller Bob Shennan said: “Chris is as committed to the Radio 2 breakfast show as he ever was. It’s great news all round for the BBC.” |
| Evans said he accepted the Top Gear job because it is “the biggest television show in the world and my favourite television show of all time”. | Evans said he accepted the Top Gear job because it is “the biggest television show in the world and my favourite television show of all time”. |
| “I love producing TV, you know the kind of TV I love to produce, so I said yes. We had our first meeting about it on Friday and that was that.” | “I love producing TV, you know the kind of TV I love to produce, so I said yes. We had our first meeting about it on Friday and that was that.” |
| He said Will MacDonald, his long-time collaborator on Channel 4’s TFI Friday, with whom he reunited for the Channel 4 show’s anniversary special last week, and his wife were the only two people who knew he had been offered the role. | He said Will MacDonald, his long-time collaborator on Channel 4’s TFI Friday, with whom he reunited for the Channel 4 show’s anniversary special last week, and his wife were the only two people who knew he had been offered the role. |