Top Gear: Matt LeBlanc breaks down in car on way to Blackpool during first day of filming

He was racing co-host Chris Evans in a Reliant Robin

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So, the new Top Gear show is off to a good start, right? Well, not exactly, as on his first day of filming, Matt LeBlanc’s car broke down, leading to the star being swamped by fans keen to get selfies.

The ex-Friends actor was driving a Reliant Rialto covered in stars-and-stripes when his car began to falter, leading to the unplanned pit-stop near a KFC in Orbital Retail Park in Cannock, Staffordshire.

Chris Evans also stopped off in his Union Jack themed Rialto, both of whom were happy to take selfies with the fans surrounding them.

Among those fans were sisters Magan and Macy, aged 16 and 12, who both got photos with LeBlanc, their mother later Tweeting: Sorry for the breakdown but you've made my two daughters very happy in Cannock! Totally unexpected but thank you so much."

Evans and LeBlanc received their first challeng via David Baddiel on BBC Radio 2, who told them to travel in the Reliant Robins to “the Las Vegas of Britain” – Blackpool – in the cars.

"Each of you will defend your respective nation's motoring honour in a series of suitably gruelling and potentially godawful Top Gear challenges," he said. "Yep, it's the USA versus the UK.

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"First, you've got to get there, which will involve the time-honoured Top Gear presenter initiation experience brought to you by the letters 'R' and 'R'.

"Waiting for you outside right now are a brace of British three-wheel beauties that the likes of Top Gear has never seen before. We are talking about ruthless Reliant Robins for 250 to Blackpool in Friday traffic."

Rory Reid, Sabine Schmitz, Chris Harris, Eddie Jordan and The Stig complete the presenter line-up for the show, which will be competing against Clarkson, Hammond and May’s new as-yet-untitled Amazon Prime offering.