‘Top Gear’ host Matt LeBlanc has been dealt a blow, with the news that the most recent series finale brought in even fewer viewers than last year’s.
Matt hosted his first series of ‘Top Gear’ in 2016, where he was joined by co-presenter Chris Evans.
At the time, Chris’s performance as host was heavily criticised by reviewers and ‘Top Gear’ fans alike, while viewing figures dwindled over the course of the run, and he stepped down as presenter once the final episode of the series aired.
However, while Matt’s tenure as lead presenter seems to have garnered a more positive reception from viewers, it seems there are actually fewer of them than when Chris was still on the show.
As reported by The Sun, this year’s series finale drew in an average of just 1.89 million viewers, 10,000 less than what the newspaper branded Chris Evans’ “all-time low” last year.
In response to this, a BBC spokesperson said that initial viewing figures seem low due to the changing ways in which people now consume television, insisting: “The first five episodes of ‘Top Gear’, which we have consolidated figures for, have been enjoyed by an average of 3.4million people each week.”
An insider told the publication: “Although the series hasn’t had any major issues, it hasn’t attracted the huge numbers it used to.
Towards the end of last year, it was reported that Matt LeBlanc had signed a two-year contract with the BBC said to be worth £2 million, meaning we should be seeing him back for a third series of ‘Top Gear’ next year.
Car enthusiast Ant Anstead recently revealed he was in the running for the ‘Top Gear’ presenting job, but lost out after writing off a sports car during his screen test.