Suzi Perry will not be joining Chris Evans as his new Top Gear co-host, despite a mysterious mention from Chris Evans on his Radio 2 breakfast show.
Chris included dinner with her as part of a Top Gear-related charity auction prize, but the BBC has now denied rumours that Formula One presenter Suzi will join him in hosting the show.
Chris Evans and the Stig (Yui Mok/PA)
Reeling off a list of incentives for his Children In Need auctions, Chris said: “The first ever Top Gear of the brand new run, you’ll get there the day before. You’ll have your own hot lap with The Stig, and then you’ll be the star in the reasonably priced car…
“We’ll then reveal who was quickest at a dinner that night, hosted by Suzi Perry at my pub, which I forgot about as well. Then you will come to the recording of the first show itself.”
The reason for Suzi’s presence at the pub was left unexplained, sparking rumours.
@suziperry has Chris just outed you as the new Hammond? Hope the BBC aren't dropping F1 like they did the open golf!
— Oliver (@GTIOLI) November 12, 2015
I will watch top Gear if suzi perry is the co host ! oh yes
— ianj40 (@ianj38) November 12, 2015
But when asked if she was being lined up for the motoring show, a spokesman for the BBC said 'no she isn’t'.
After being chosen to replace presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May in June, Chris said the show would 'definitely, 100 per cent' have one or more female presenters.
Suzi, 45, has previously dismissed rumours that she could join Top Gear.
Suzi Perry (Ian West/PA)
Appearing as a guest on ITV’s This Morning in July, she said: “I’m away 20 weeks a year doing Formula 1. So unless someone has invented 48 hours in a day… it would be pretty tough I think for me to do it.”
She also revealed that years ago she did turn down a Top Gear presenting job, saying: “I just didn’t think that I could do it.”
