LONDON -- British TV and radio presenter Chris Evans has signed a three-year deal with the BBC to lead a new Top Gear line-up.
"I’m thrilled, Top Gear is my favourite programme of all time. Created by a host of brilliant minds who love cars and understand how to make the massively complicated come across as fun, devil-may-care and effortless. When in fact of course, it's anything but and that's the genius of Top Gear's global success," Evans said in a statement on Tuesday evening.
"I promise I will do everything I possibly can to respect what has gone on before and take the show forward."
First tweet as new Top Gear host. I would like to say Jeremy, Richard & James are the greatest. And NO I'm not leaving the R2 Breakfast Show— Chris Evans (@achrisevans) June 16, 2015
Evans currently presents the breakfast radio show on BBC Radio 2, he previously presented TFI Friday, which ran on Channel 4 for five years, ending in 2000.
The BBC announced in March that they would not be renewing host Jeremy Clarkson's Top Gear contract after an investigation into a physical assault on a producer that required hospital treatment.
Clarkson had been suspended from the BBC earlier in March after the "fracas." The presenter called Danny Cohen, the BBC's director of television, himself to report the incident.
More than 1 million people have called for Clarkson's return, and a petition was delivered to the BBC by a man dressed as The Stig on a tank.
Production on the new series of Top Gear is to start in the next few weeks.