Who is the Stig on Top Gear?
Since Top Gear was launched in 1977 it has been an extremely popular program worldwide, not only with motor fanatics but also within the public in general. Top Gear became a Sunday night staple in the UK. Whilst the presenters of Top Gear have been through some controversy and change, there is one continuous member of the Top Gear team who has always managed to make an appearance, that being the mysterious Stig. Throughout the series there has always been some debate over his true identity, and this question is now being asked again due to Top Gears return in a new series. So we at OneHowTo are going to weigh in on the Top Gear phenomenon and try to answer the question, who is the Stig on Top Gear?
Contents
What is the Stig?
Top Gear was was reformatted in 2002, and the Stig was first introduced in a full black racing suit and helmet as a recurring member of the Top Gear team. His main function on the program was to set lap times in various vehicles, such as manual, automatic and hybrid, and test their speed and ability. Of course due to the racing drivers helmet, there was no way of anybody in the audience knowing his identity and there was much speculation on this mysterious character both in the media and amongst the viewers. Finding out the identity of this mysterious Stig became a pop culture obsession.
The Stig's identity
If you're a new Top Gear fan, you're probably dying to know the Stig's true identity. Well, at the end of the 2002 series, a Sunday newspaper revealed the Stig's identity as racing driver Perry McCarthy, who, when questioned about this said that whilst he knew the identity of the Stig, he 'couldn't comment'. It wasn't until the end of the second series that McCarthy revealed in his autobiography he had in fact been the Stig.
The Stig's successor
The next Stig to feature on Top Gear was in a full white racing suit and helmet, and again the speculation started as to who this new Stig could be. His identity was kept secret from his first appearance on the show in 2003 until 2010 when it was revealed that racing driver Ben Collins was in fact the Stig.
During a Christmas special of Top Gear in December 2010, not long after the last Stig was revealed, a baby Stig was revealed in a manger instead of a baby Jesus (oh how Top Gear tickles us!). This was of course a sign that a new Stig was to be featured on the next series of Top Gear. They had us all enthralled...
Who is the Stig now?
The current Stig on the latest and newest series of a revamped Top Gear is still unknown. However speculation in UK newspapers have already begun. Newest presenter of Top Gear and beloved Friends star Matt Leblanc and co host Rory Reid have reportedly followed an 'obscure' racing driver on Twitter. Assuming they mean obscure because he is not so well known, the driver is Phil Keen, the man who may or may not be, our latest Stig. Do we actually want to know though, or is that all part of the fun?
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