“The Stig” promising show to rival Top Gear
Ben Collins is in talks with several networks in the UK, promising more elaborate and dangerous stunts than Top Gear.
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Ben Collins, recently unveiled as Top Gear‘s Stig, is in talks to star in his own TV show.
Collins book about his time as The Stig hasseen him fall out of favour with Jeremy Clarkson and producers.
The former stunt driver says he is in talks with several networks in the UK, promising more elaborate and dangerous stunts.
“Presenting is what I’d like to get into. There were many ideas that I’ve had on Top Gear that they thought were too crazy and hopefully now I can get away with as a free agent,” he told UK media.
“I’d love to do some stunts and having worked in the film industry with stunt professionals I have huge respect for what they do,” he said.
“Over the last 18 months there were more and more rumours that I was The Stig,” Collins told The Sun. “The end was nigh, so for that pressure to come off is fantastic.”
Source: Stuff
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13 Responses
Ben Collins is just a driver, without the stig. people realise that, he has no audience pulling power if he is marketed as ‘ben collins’ ……
@Armchair Analyst – the trouble with having different drivers for the timed laps is that it makes it easy to claim that a particular vehicle was disadvantaged because its driver wasn’t as good as a driver of some other vehicle. Having The Stig character gives the appearance of consistency, even when they have occasionally used someone else.
He is joining Fith Gear on Channel 5.
guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/01/the-stig-top-gear-channel-5
My prediction: Collins will sign with ITV, and Seven will pick up the Aussie rights.
To be honest, I’m glad he’s been unmasked – he’s quite cute!
What i want to know is are the Top Gear UK producers going to recast the Stig? or are they going to replace him with say celebrity racecar drivers to test their vehicles ie Micheal Schumacher, or David Coulthard?
Well, let’s wait and see whether he can speak or not before condemning him. Sure, it’ll have to be more than just a bunch of cunning stunts to have any legs, but I for one wouldn’t mind seeing “Jackass” done properly with a bigger budget.
The character “The Stig” is the property of the BBC. This guy is just a guy who used to dress up as him, just as at Christmas when Santa comes in all shapes and sizes.
Sure he can drive, but can he put two words together? Or has years in a stuffy helmet deprived him of oxygen and reality?
Hmm… he should be careful. Any ideas he had for stunts while he was working for TopGear are the intellectual property of the BBC, even if they chose not to use them..
Unfortunately for him its not the stunts that make Top Gear amazing its the presenters. That cant be replicated.
Great…this is the last thing I want to see actually. Already I’m getting sick of Top Gear’s shenanigans. Clarkson and Hammond are increasingly full of themselves, thinking they are the world’s funniest men. Give me the good old days of Top Gear please where they didn’t have to try so hard.
“Over the last 18 months there were more and more rumours that I was The Stig,” Collins told The Sun. “The end was nigh, so for that pressure to come off is fantastic.”
Hmmmm. I wonder who started those rumours?
I think he should stick to stunt driving. I doubt he can knock Top Gear out.