TOP GEAR has been a huge hit for the BBC since it first launched back in 2002.
The presenting line-up has changed dramatically over the years, but is now headed up by Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff and Paddy McGuinness, alongside Chris Harris.
Who are the Top Gear presenters?
Paddy McGuinness and Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff host Top Gear once again.
The pair were brought in to replace Matt LeBlanc in 2019, who decided to leave the show to spend more time with his family and friends.
They are joined by motor journalist Chris Harris.
Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff
Freddie is a former international cricketer who has made a name for himself as a broadcaster.
He was born in Lancashire on December 6, 1977 – which makes him 44-years-old.
He’s been involved in numerous TV projects; not only did he win the first series of the Aussie I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, but he presented ITV’s Cannonball and is team captain on Sky One’s A League of Their Own.
He has been married to wife Rachael Wools Flintoff since March 2005, with whom he has four children named Holly, Corey, Rocky and Preston.
Paddy McGuinness
Paddy, born Patrick Joseph McGuinness, is a comedian, comedy actor and TV presenter.
The Farnworth, Lancashire, native is a 48-year-old, having been born on August 14, 1973.
He is best known for presenting shows like Take Me Out and Benchmark since his TV debut in 1995.
Paddy has been married to Christine Mchriartin since June 2011 and the pair have three kids together; Penelope, Leo and Felicity.
In 2017, it was revealed that Leo and Penelope have autism and the famous couple have openly discussed the challenges they have faced since.
Chris Harris
Chris is a 46-year-old journalist who has made a career in the automotive field as a writer, presenter AND driver.
His writing credits start with Autocar magazine, where he climbed the ranks to “road-test editor”, writing opinion pieces and reviews on cars.
He has also appeared in a series of YouTube videos and created his own show Chris Harris on Cars, which was later bought and moved to the BBC’s website.
Before moving over to the main programme, Chris and co-star Rory Reid hosted the spin-off show of the main series, called Extra Gear.
On top of his reviewing responsibilities, he also races – and has taken part in the Nurburgring 24 hours endurance test three times in 2010, 2015 and 2016.
However, his team had to pull out of the 2016 race after their car was wrecked in a practice round.
When is Top Gear’s Christmas special?
You can catch Driving Home For Christmas on Christmas Eve at 8.30pm on BBC One.
In this festive episode, Freddie, Chris and Paddy play ‘car secret Santa’ for a festive road trip across Britain, transporting a giant Christmas tree as they head to Top Gear’s very own winter wonderland.
After it has aired you can watch it on the BBC iPlayer.
