Top Gear, which ran for some 46 years and was once one of the most profitable in the BBC’s programming portfolio, is on an extended hiatus.
The Hollywood Reporter writes that today the British public broadcaster announced the suspension of the show.
The news comes following a car accident involving host Freddie Flintoff while filming the show, which caused production to be halted on the final season.
The accident – Flintoff’s third on the show – happened in late 2022 and he had to be airlifted to hospital. In October, the press confirmed that BBC Studios, the commercial arm of Top Gear, had won an $11.3 million settlement for injuries sustained by Flintoff.
The decision to pull the series came after the BBC’s external health and safety investigation, which it said would not be made public. A separate health and safety report into previous seasons of Top Gear said “important lessons were learned” in the way the show was made.
In a statement, the BBC added: “We know ending the show will be disappointing news for fans, but it is the right thing to do.”
