The Grand Tour presenter James May 'chuffed' Chris Evans quit Top Gear

Evans said of his departure: 'Gave it my best shot but sometimes that's not enough'

(Getty)

Taking over Top Gear from the likes of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May was never going to be an easy task for Chris Evans; not only did the trio share a chemistry not often seen on TV, but they had a legion of ardent fans that would criticise anyone not up to the task.

Unfortunately, the BBC Radio 2 host was unable to impress, leaving the car show earlier this week, saying: “Gave it my best shot but sometimes that's not enough.”

UPDATE: Jeremy Clarkson has called the original report by MailOnline 'utter horseshit', saying they can prove the writer made the quotes up. Whether you agree depends on your opinion on the below video.

Ever since, Top Gear fans have been waiting for the original presenting line-up to comment on the departure, something James May touched on while filming The Grand Tour in Italy.

Asked by a cameraman whether he was “chuffed Evans quit” after one season, the ex-BBC presenter said he was “very chuffed”.

The video was picked up by the MailOnline, who also claim Clarkson is “pleased as punch” about the decision.

A crew member working on the Amazon Prime show reportedly said of the ‘fracas’ starting presenter: “He’s kept his mouth shut about Evans the whole time, and now Evans has hung himself by his own rope without Jeremy getting involved.”

When in Italy, the trio were mobbed by huge crowd in thanks to Clarkson sending out a Tweet saying: “People of Italy James Richard and I will be filming in the Piazza Dei Signori in Vicenza tomorrow at 3pm. Come along”.

It was recently announced that The Grand Tour will come to the UK later this year, with a prize draw currently open for tickets.