Matt LeBlanc Has Been Confirmed As One Of The New Presenters Of “Top Gear"

Well, nobody saw that coming.

NO, YOU DID NOT READ THAT WRONG. Matt LeBlanc will be one of the new presenters of Top Gear.

bbc.co.uk

In a statement just released by the BBC, Matt LeBlanc said, “As a car nut and a massive fan of Top Gear, I'm honoured and excited to be a part of this iconic show’s new chapter. What a thrill!”

Co-host Chris Evans added, “Matt’s a lifelong fellow petrolhead and I’m thrilled he's joining Top Gear. Acting out our craziest car notions on screen is a dream job and I know we’ll both be debating some epic road trip ideas. We can’t wait to share what we’ve been up to on screen later this year."

Former Friends star LeBlanc has appeared on Top Gear twice before. He topped the "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" leaderboard in 2012.

BBC / Via youtube.com

He also presented a Top Gear special on BBC America on the show's greatest-ever races just last month.

BBC America / Via youtube.com

Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May left Top Gear after Clarkson had a "fracas" with one of its producers.

The announcement surprised a lot of people.

The Buxton Blog @thebuxtonblog

Wow. @Matt_LeBlanc joins @BBC_TopGear. Didn't see that one coming.

11:35 AM - 04 Feb 2016

Jake Lambert @LittleLostLad

I hope there's at least one car on Top Gear that Matt LeBlanc describes as feeling like you're always stuck in second gear.

11:58 AM - 04 Feb 2016

While some have expressed shock at the announcement, LeBlanc's arrival is clearly aimed at retaining Top Gear's global appeal. The show used to have 350 million viewers internationally, and introducing a presenter known only in the UK, or a complete unknown, may have been perceived as a risk. There aren't many people out there who haven't heard of Matt LeBlanc before.

Other presenters are still to be confirmed and the show is due to return in May.