Top Gear: Former co-host James May to present new BBC2 car show

Building Cars Live will show how a new BMW Mini is built ever 67 seconds

Jess Denham
Friday 19 June 2015 14:44 BST
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James May is making his BBC comeback with Building Cars Live
James May is making his BBC comeback with Building Cars Live

James May has a job! The former Top Gear co-host is moving on from the Jeremy Clarkson "fracas" scandal to present a new BBC Two show about car manufacturing.

It might not sound quite as exciting as his antics with Clarkson and Richard Hammond but Building Cars Live will see the 52-year-old presenter join Kate Humble and Ant Anstead to explore life inside the Oxford BMW Mini plant.

Two 90-minute episodes will show how a new car is built every 67 seconds while also considering the history of global car-making and how robotics is changing the industry.

A man of few words, May simply said: "I can't wait to build a car. Live."

Kim Shillinglaw, BBC Two controller, added: "Broadcasting live from the car factory is a really exciting way to reveal the science, engineering and expertise behind the cars on our roads."

Sadly this means that May is no longer unemployed and his YouTube channel may start looking more sparse - we're going to miss all the recorder playing and cooking masterclasses.

Clarkson, whose BBC contract was not renewed after he assaulted a Top Gear producer in March, claimed yesterday that he had been offered a return to the hit motoring series just days before the job went to Chris Evans.

Clarkson said he turned the chance down because a BBC executive had compared him to Jimmy Savile, but the BBC has denied this.

The final Top Gear with Clarkson, Hammond and May airs on Sunday 28 June on BBC Two, while auditions will be held to find co-hosts to join Evans in the new line-up.

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