When Will Top Gear Return? Latest Odds

Will the trio make a comeback? Paddy McGuinness, Chris Harris, and Freddie Flintoff. (Image: PA Images / Alamy)

Former Top Gear presenters Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris have confirmed they are reuniting for a new road trip-style show, which has sparked speculation about the future of the BBC motoring show.

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In November, the BBC confirmed Top Gear was being rested for the "foreseeable future," which came after Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff was left seriously injured in a horrific, near-fatal crash.

Freddie was filming a stunt for the series in December 2022 when the open-top sports car he was driving flipped over, leaving him with facial injuries and several broken ribs.

The sportsman-turned-TV presenter has since been spotted out and about, most recently in May working with England's cricket stars, but he has yet to return to TV.

But with Paddy and Chris now reuniting on a future BBC show, could Freddie be one step closer to reuniting with them?  

Paddy And Chris' Road Trip

The pair are heading back to the BBC for the new series Road Trippin, which will follow the pals as they travel across Europe and look at how European residents grow old gracefully and make their years ahead their best yet.

Paddy has admitted he is "very much looking forward to getting back on the road" in the new show, which will see them head to Sweden, Greece, and Switzerland as they face classic midlife problems of their own.

The BBC has also confirmed that despite being a road trip series, it will be "different in format to Top Gear in that it will not focus on cars and motoring issues."

Despite this, Paddy and Chris' new show has sparked speculation that Top Gear could make a return sooner rather than later.

What's more, in March, the BBC released their 2024/25 Annual Plan, which confirmed Freddie would be back for a second series of cricket documentary Field of Dreams.

While a date has yet to be confirmed for the show, it looks likely to air in the second half of 2024 or in 2025.

With a Top Gear return not yet confirmed for this year, if the show is to return sooner rather than later, it looks most likely that would be in either 2025 or 2026.

It is 2/1 favourite for the programme to race back onto our screens next year, and just 5/2 for 2026, while 2024 is a longer 3/1.

Paddy's Positive Freddie News

The BBC's March confirmation that Freddie will be heading back to the small screen came just a month after Paddy revealed Freddie was doing "all right."

While speaking about his pal in February, Paddy told Good Morning Britain: "He's all right. I've not spoken to him for a while, but, you know, he is getting on with it."

"He is a very resilient character, Fred. So I've no doubt he'll be right as rain." - said Paddy.

The BBC has also previously hinted they want Freddie back on Top Gear with Paddy and Chris.

Filming was halted on the show following the former England star's 2022 accident, and the BBC said in a November 2023 statement: "Given the exceptional circumstances, the BBC has decided to rest the UK show for the foreseeable future."

"The BBC remains committed to Freddie, Chris and Paddy, who have been at the heart of the show’s renaissance since 2019, and we’re excited about new projects being developed with each of them."

"We will have more to say in the near future on this. We know resting the show will be disappointing news for fans, but it is the right thing to do. All other Top Gear activity remains unaffected by this hiatus, including international formats, digital, magazines and licensing."

It is a big 20/1 that the programme doesn't ever return, but that looks unlikely given the BBC's comments, and the fact Top Gear has previously bounced back from controversy.

Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond co-hosted the show from 2002 to 2015, but that all came to an abrupt end when Jeremy was dropped from the programme in 2015 for punching show producer Oisin Tymon, and James and Richard voluntarily followed him out of the door.

Despite this, Top Gear bounced back with Chris, Eddie Jordan and Matt LeBlanc co-fronting the show from 2016, and Freddie and Paddy later joined Chris in 2019 when Eddie and Matt had departed the programme.

But will we see the trio back together again?

Gear Up For Trio's Reunion

It looks increasingly likely that Freddie, Paddy and Chris will reunite to co-host Top Gear again one day.

As well as the BBC saying they are "committed" to the trio, Paddy recently revealed he, Chris, and Freddie - who previously reached a settlement with BBC Studios, which was reportedly worth £9 million and said to be based on the star missing out on two years of earnings - are all "up for doing it" again.

In April, the former Take Me Out presenter told Virgin Radio: "It’s what’s been put out there by the BBC. Top Gear hasn't been cancelled. It's just on hold at the minute while they get a few things in place."

"This isn't me being like an MP, it’s what we know. So let's see what happens. We're all up for doing it, but it's just when the BBC feels it's right to do it again."

It's just 1/3 that Paddy, Freddie, and Chris all reunite for another go at fronting the motoring show, while it's just 1/4 they make a joint return on a different programme.

This could even happen in the very near future if Freddie makes a surprise guest appearance on Paddy and Chris' three-part Road Trippin series. Gear up for a reunion!