Matt LeBlanc may have cast doubts over whether he’d be returning to ‘Top Gear’, but new reports claim that the actor-turned-motoring show host is close to signing on the dotted line.
Earlier this week, the former ‘Friends’ star claimed that “there’s nothing officially happening yet” when asked about the next series, however, sources have now stated the BBC are prepared to shell out big bucks to secure his return.
The Mirror reports that Matt could earn as much as £1 million for the next series, and a source tells the paper: “Matt was one of the positive aspects of the last series, he is keen to return and we definitely want him back so it will happen, we just need to dot the ‘i’s and cross the ‘t’s.
Matt was a hit with fans on the ill-fated 23rd series of ‘Top Gear’, which failed to pull in as many viewers as Jeremy Clarkson and co.
However, when lead presenter Chris Evans announced his departure, he had nothing but good things to say about his colleague and later backed him to become the main host of the next set of episodes.
“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,” he said of Matt.
“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.”