The BBC has "rested" Top Gear for the "foreseeable future" after crash during filming last year in which host Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff was seriously injured. In a statement given to the PA news agency, the BBC said: "Given the exceptional circumstances, the BBC has decided to rest the UK show for the foreseeable future.
"The BBC remains committed to Freddie, Chris and Paddy who have been at the heart of the show's renaissance since 2019, and we're excited about new projects being developed with each of them. We will have more to say in the near future on this. We know resting the show will be disappointing news for fans, but it is the right thing to do."
"All other Top Gear activity remains unaffected by this hiatus including international formats, digital, magazines and licensing." A statement added: "The report includes a number of recommendations to improve approaches to safety as Top Gear is a complex programme-making environment routinely navigating tight filming schedules and ambitious editorial expectations - challenges often experienced by long-running shows with an established on and off screen team.
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"Learnings included a detailed action plan involving changes in the ways of working, such as increased clarity on roles and responsibilities and better communication between teams for any future Top Gear production." Flintoff and Paddy McGuinness made their debut as Top Gear hosts in June 2019.
The duo joined Chris Harris from the 27th series of the BBC Two show in the main presenting line-up. BBC Studios said a health and safety production review of Top Gear, which did not cover the accident but instead looked at previous seasons, found that "while BBC Studios had complied with the required BBC policies and industry best practice in making the show, there were important learnings which would need to be rigorously applied to future Top Gear UK productions."