Top Gear Removes Its Three Hosts From Website Banner

Even though neither James May nor Richard Hammond have said anything about their departure from the Top Gear show, a recent design change on the Top Gear website has left people wondering. Instead of featuring the mugshots of Jeremy Clarkson, who was recently ousted from the BBC, May, Hammond and The Stig, the website’s banner only shows a new version of The Stig.

Somewhat surprisingly, all three presenters’ columns are still featured on the website’s front page, but there is no official news regarding the show’s future lineup. Both Hammond and May have hinted that they wouldn’t want to continue presenting without Jeremy Clarkson, so an announcement from the BBC will probably arrive soon.

Adding more fuel to the fire, The Stig’s helmet on the updated banner seems mildly different than the old one. To some, that may hint that the "tame racing driver" could be either upgraded to full presenter – highly unlikely, considering he never speaks – or that The White Stig could be replaced with a Chrome Stig of some sort. Either way, considering that the banner change took place on April 1st, it could mean anything, really. Until the BBC puts together a new show for 2016, the current Top Gear season still has three unaired episodes, which are said to be in limbo indefinitely, since the studio bits haven’t been filmed and likely never will be.

Ever since Jeremy Clarkson and executive producer Andy Wilman put together the current format of Top Gear in 2002, the show has broken audience record after record. At one point, around 350 million viewers were glued to the TV screens whenever the show aired, not to mention countless other millions who pirated every season online. With JC now gone, Hammond and May’s future on Top Gear is in left field, and every die-hard fan is anxiously awaiting more official news onthe subject. Until that time comes, we are stuck with an odd website banner and nothing but speculation.