I thought it was an open secret that Ben Collins was the Stig, or at least the “Primary” Stig?
I’ve long been of the impression that there are a couple of “Stigs”, especially for things like The Race Across London which involved The Stig taking the Tube and where they could have gotten anybody to wear the Stig outfit and put them on the Tube.
I think the problem isn’t so much that Mr. Collins has outed himself as The Stig, but it’s part of the deal that when a Stig is outed, they have to go from the show- there used to be a Black Stig way back in the day, who was outed by one of the Sunday papers and the character was “Killed off” after driving a car off the flight deck of an Aircraft Carrier.
The thing is, rather a lot of Top Gear merchandise features The Stig, and with White Stig likely to be replaced, that means the Beeb’s going to have to rethink the merchandising for their most popular show.
I wonder how the guy is supposed to get a sponsor to race an La Mans without anyone knowing he was The Stig?
So now that we know the real identity, what do we know about the real guy? Does he have a history as a racing driver? Does he have another life or profession under his real name and have some kind of decent professional reputation for something?
Here are some places to find episodes. Usually the search syntax is Top Gear [season xx] [episode xx] or Top Gear [series xx][series xx], but for the specials, you might wish to use Top Gear [specialname].
Unfortunately, the most recent season 15 suffered severely from budget cuts, so there were not as many episodes, the challenges were not as interesting, and the filming/editing/effects were not as good.
OP you just aren’t getting it. There is nothing deep and meaningful going on here and nobody is suggesting to the contrary. Quite simply, Ben Collins was (at least in theory) hired as a professional to participate in an entertainment, a long running joke. Instead of behaving professionally, he spoiled the joke. He ruined the fun. He decided to advance (at least in the short term) his own interests instead of those of the public to whom he owes what little fame he has.
There’s no law against it (or if there is that is not what is important). It’s a free country. It’s just in bad taste. He’s like the person who waits till you are 90% of the way through a shaggy dog joke and then blurts out the punchline, or who gives away the ending of a whodunit. It gets them ten seconds of attention but in the end everyone thinks they are a wanker.
I can’t help feeling that it’s all a put-up job. BC gets free publicity and a nice little pay-off, and Top Gear get a new Stig resulting in new merchandising.
Princhester…
Thank you for letting me know that I’m not getting it…
Your second sentance is a bit more confusing. To whom are you directing
exactly? I don’t see any mention of deep and meaningful prior to your somewhat circular statement.
All I’m saying is that, quite possibly, BC has something interesting to say to many people who watch Top Gear and that the BBC is wasting (our) money fighting the case in court for no good reason. Those people who don’t agree with my perspective will, no doubt, exercise, their right not to but the book. There! Give people the right to make their own minds up rather than allow big companies decide what they can and cannot see.
As for the rest of your post I can only respond from my own experience rather than the opinion of ‘the public’ enmasse you claim to represent, when I say that my experience of Top Gear is in no way ‘ruined’ by knowing the identity of the Stig. Something I cannot say about Mr. Clarkson for his repeated expression of fax betrayal or for the BBC for the attempted gagging order.
I always assumed that the whole point of the Stig outfit was that there was no one Stig - they could just use whoever was available at the time and familiar with the car in question, and they wouldn’t be identified.
To pretend that one particular person “is” the Stig seems pretty disingenuous.
I haven’t looked up the situation just to make this post but last I’d heard, the Beeb had lost their initial application which was for a gag order and at most would now just be seeking damages. Getting (you) money.
Read this thread. Few seem to agree with your perspective, and many with mine.
The BBC had their case thrown out… the law seems to have gone with common sense. (but to be fair that had happened before the OP so I can’t claim I didn’t know)
From what I’ve read the BBC failed to obtain an interlocutory injunction preventing the publication of the book. That doesn’t mean the BBC won’t win its eventual claim for damages for breach of contract. If you’ve heard differently, you might like to provide a cite.
He may not mean much to a lot of people, but The Stig is the honest character in TG. He drives every car like his life depends on it and we would like him to have no preference for any particular car.
Now we will be asking what car he drives, whether he has a thousand driving tickets etc. Ben Collins’ role in TG was created before him and he did not contribute to the colour commentary or the twists and turns like the other presenters (scripted ofcourse).
By revealing his part, all he has done is assure himself of th old heave-ho. It may seem petty, but the role of The Stig is to provide an unbiased testing of motor vehicles around the track. He was billed as a presenter and should have been content. Unfortunately, like all people he is trying to lay claim to a title that is not him. The Stig is actually the suit, helmet, gloves and boots. As such, they only neet to posses a new body.
I saw the “Stig” Ben Collins at Silverstone (UK) this weekend taking part in the Le Mans series 1000km. Pic here.
He came fourth in class and 12th overall driving this.
