"SOME SAY...

...that he has a life size tattoo of his face... on his face. All I know is that he is called The Stig!"



The white-suited, white-helmeted figure had been an ever-present mystery on the programme (Top Gear) since its relaunch in its current format in 2002 – but the enigma was abruptly shattered this autumn when the Stig was revealed to be Ben Collins, a Formula 1 test driver. The BBC spent around £38,000 appealing a court’s decision to let Collins publish an autobiography.

Since then, there has been fervent speculation about the Stig’s future, with fans wondering whether the BBC will resuscitate the character with a new driver, do without him or even introduce a brand new figure. In an interview earlier this month, Clarkson said that the Stig would not feature in the two Christmas specials, and that the decision would be taken in advance of a new series starting in January.

In an interview with the Telegraph, James May said, repeating an official line from the BBC legal team: “Anything can happen in Stigland – you’ll just have to wait and see”. Prior to that, the BBC had released a short trailer showing a “Stig Farm”, in which infant Stigs were apparently being raised to maturity.



For the Christmas specials, former Top Gear presenter Tiff Needell (who is now working on Channel 5’s Fifth Gear) returns to fill the Stig’s boots and teach Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle how to race a "reasonably priced car".

Some say he’s a crucial part of a popular programme. Others point out that he’s just a bloke in a helmet. The only thing we can say for sure is that he’s an immaculate marketing tool, and it seems unlikely we’ve heard the last of him.