Top Gear is set to move from BBC Two to BBC One for the first time in its 18-year ‘modern history’, according to Deadline.
The entertainment website reports that “high-level talks” about the switch took place in January and that BBC director of content Charlotte Moore decided to move Top Gear after being impressed with its performance among young audiences.
The move is set to take place later this year, with “no changes to the show’s editorial direction”.
Preston-born Andrew Flintoff and Bolton’s Paddy McGuinness took over presenting of the show last year, along with Chris Harris. Their first season averaged 3.8 million viewers last year, some 1.5 million ahead of the previous Matt LeBlanc-fronted season.
The show returned this January with 4.2 million viewers, which was up on 2018’s opener. Former executive producer Andy Wilman, who worked on the show with Jeremy Clarkson, told Deadline last year that they had always resisted a move to BBC One.
“We never went to BBC One, we always wanted to be a big dog on BBC Two,” he said.
