Lil Miss Bump Posted September 2, 2010 Report Share Posted September 2, 2010 Top Gear’s Stig is unmasked Image © PA The Stig has officially been unmasked after the High Court refused to grant a temporary injunction preventing the revelation of Top Gear's racing driver. Ben Collins has been named as the man behind the mask after the BBC took legal action to block publication of an autobiography by HarperCollins which would have revealed his identity. James May told the BBC upon hearing the news: "Obviously I'm now going to have to take some legal action of my own, because I have been the Stig for the past seven years, and I don't know who this bloke is, who's mincing around in the High Court pretending it's him." We revealed the man behind the Stig back in January 2009. This is what we said at the time: the identity of Top Gear's mysterious Stig has been one of the best kept secrets in television. But after years of intense public curiosity it has been revealed that he is a 33-year-old racing driver from Bristol. Ben Collins is the mystery man behind the white mask, a former American NASCAR, Formula 3 driver and Daniel Craig stunt double. Famed for his on-the-limit driving style, the Stig's identity is normally protected because he never removes his trademark white helmet or racing suit and never talks on camera. However, the secret apparently came out when a Bristol newspaper ran a story claiming that Collins was at a Bristol photo studio where limited-edition prints of the Stig were being produced.The media has long known who the Stig is but has refrained from revealing his true identity. A Top Gear spokesman said: "We never comment on speculation as to who or what the Stig is." Rumour has it that if the Stig's identity was ever revealed the driver could be sacked from Top Gear. The original Stig, Perry McCarthy, was launched off an aircraft carrier and 'killed' after his identity was revealed. In 2007, Ben Collins wrote a series of stunt-driving articles for MSN Cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparks Posted September 2, 2010 Report Share Posted September 2, 2010 i knew who the stig was before this, but i still dont think they should of un masked him as they put it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinny1275 Posted September 2, 2010 Report Share Posted September 2, 2010 It's been an open secret for years - the biggest giveaway was the HSE investigation into Hamster's jet car crash - Top Gear's "Motorsport advisor" was initialled BC in the report, but his name had been out in the wild before then. What the BBC don't want revealed, I think, is that actually ther'es more than one Stig, which kind of makes a mockery of the whole thing... Whoever it is, TG's much more about entertainment than cars - the reliant robin episode in the last series was truly one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinny1275 Posted September 2, 2010 Report Share Posted September 2, 2010 i knew who the stig was before this, but i still dont think they should of un masked him as they put it The BBC were trying to stop it - he's written an autobiography and gives himself away. It the mystique of the Stig goes, the BBC might have to accept less money to sell TG abroad, and it's one of their biggest sellers across the world.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamz Posted September 2, 2010 Report Share Posted September 2, 2010 not being funny but who cares who he is??? does it really matter?? far more important things going on in the world!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunc Posted September 2, 2010 Report Share Posted September 2, 2010 the reliant robin episode in the last series was truly one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time.... Funny how we watch think and like things so differently the episode with the reliant robin I found long boring and drawn out as for the best one of the last series IMO was the one that did a feature on Senna The stig..... was funny in the early days but I swear if I here JK say one more time " some say he's......... " GRRRRR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparks Posted September 2, 2010 Report Share Posted September 2, 2010 I have to agree with Dunc, the Senna Episode was one of the best i have ever seen And on that bombshell...................... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinny1275 Posted September 2, 2010 Report Share Posted September 2, 2010 Funny how we watch think and like things so differently the episode with the reliant robin I found long boring and drawn out as for the best one of the last series IMO was the one that did a feature on Senna The stig..... was funny in the early days but I swear if I here JK say one more time " some say he's......... " GRRRRR The Senna one was brilliant - about the first time I've seen them do a piece of real journalism I think - I agree about the Stig comments at the beginning, but they just wash over me now.... And the Reliant thing - yes, it was predictable, yes it was silly, yes it went on for ages with the same joke, and I was still peeing myself laughing.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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