Top Gear: Chris Evans admits he was a 'square peg in a round hole' after departing show

'Yes, I promise, I really did try to make the best show I possibly could. Some things, however, simply don’t work out'

(BBC)

Whether host Chris Evans - and his "shouty" ways - were really the source of Top Gear's failure as a revamped show may be up for debate; but he's certainly become the scapegoat for its problems, especially following his official departure from the series.

Thankfully, Evans hasn't shown any signs of bitterness towards Top Gear; ensuring viewers that he at least enjoyed his time on the show, while it lasted. In a piece for the Mail on Sunday, Evans wrote; "Yes, I promise, I really did try to make the best show I possibly could. Some things, however, simply don’t work out. It seems I may well have been a square peg in a round hole."

"One way or another, however, the Top Gear ship has been steadily refloated, a new production team and presentation team established and I, for one, will continue to be a huge fan. And what an adventure it all was. From scaling the dizzying, snake-like trail of the Sani Pass with Seasick Steve riding shotgun, to getting to drive that fabulous 168mph Abingdon MGB around the lanes of sunny Buckinghamshire, I don’t regret a single second."

"The Top Gear gang are the most driven (forgive the pun) and dedicated I have ever worked with. There is nothing those guys won’t do to make every second of on-air content shine to its maximum potential."

Evans also took the opportunity to praise LeBlanc; "For me, he is the man. He is the captain Top Gear truly needs going forward, the perfect torso for the rest of TG's limbs. Not only does he eat, sleep, breathe and dream engines, propshafts, and trail-braking, but the overwhelming quality that struck me about him is that he's just such a pro."

"The whole time I worked with him, he never once looked at the clock, was never late on set, knew his lines inside out and back to front and, most importantly on such an intense production, he always had time for everyone, especially the crew. The simple truth is he and Top Gear were made for each other."

Indeed, though there have been reports of a fractious relationship between the pair, LeBlanc has overall seen fairly positive feedback from even the show's harshest critics. With the BBC announcing Evans will not be replaced as the main host on the show, it's essentially boosted LeBlanc from co-host to lead anchor.

The challenge is now whether LeBlanc's charisma alone would be able to reverse the show's plummeting viewing figures, which hit an all-time low during its series finale. Top Gear has certainly faced a host of struggles, yet, there's still hope. The new series has been revealed to have outperformed Jeremy Clarkson's version on the global market, leaving the BBC with a level of renewed confidence in its future success.