Ben Collins (ex-Stig) to present on Fifth Gear TV program | CarAdvice

Car Advice
  • Home
  • »  Ben Collins (ex-Stig) to present on Fifth Gear TV program

Ben Collins (ex-Stig) to present on Fifth Gear TV program

By Brett Davis |
FIND DEALS

According to reports from the UK, Top Gear’s ex ‘Stig’, Ben Collins, has been hired by rival Channel 5 automotive TV show, Fifth Gear. He will present along side former Top Gear hosts Tiff Needell and Vickie Butler-Henderson.

What a way to exit. Ben Collins has gone straight from Top Gear into Fifth Gear like the two other presenters. The BBC may have been powerful by banning Ben Collins from having anything to do with the company in the future but it didn’t stop other producers from snapping up Collins’ good talents.

Ben Collins was the stunt driver for Top Gear for around seven years, showcasing various talents in not only great driving skills but also interesting acting skills. As a new presenter to the Fifth Gear program, the producers are excited about the idea of pitching Collins up against the two other professional drivers on the show, Tiff Needell and touring car driver Jason Plato.

Head of Channel 5′s factual entertainment segment, Steve Gowans, said in a recent Guardian report,

“We’re delighted to have the Ben on board – it will be fascinating to see how he does in a head-to-head with Tiff and Jason [Plato] – the best drivers on TV.”

Meanwhile, Collins is equally excited about the move and about actually having his face appear on national television for once. Collins was quoted as saying in the same report,

“I’m delighted to be joining the Fifth Gear team. And I am looking forward to a new set of exciting challenges, apparently with and without the helmet.”

It will be interesting to see what sort of personality Ben Collins has on TV now that he can speak, and we’ll actually be able to receive his highly credible opinion on cars – having driven so many on Top Gear.

Collins is said to appear on at least five episodes of the new upcoming series of Fifth Gear.

Source: The Guardian


 

  • Jumbo

    This guy just will not give up.
    He is a low life money hungry pig who is trying to make a name for himself

    • Dan

      He’s awesome, finally he’ll be able to give his opinion about cars, which is probably more valid than the rest of top grar presenters altogether, given that he can actually drive!

    • Jimmy

      Nice critical analysis.

      I would say he’s just a guy with a good opportunity who took it. He doesn’t owe anybody anything.

    • JML

      I bet when you were a kid you cried and threw a tantrum and broke your toys when you found out Santa wasn’t real.

      …you do know that Santa isn’t real…don’t you?

      • D Is For Drive

        What???

    • Cupid Stunt

      And wouldn’t you. Jealousy can be quite hard at times

  • Marcoz

    Good on him…. Long Live the Stig/Ben…for all the other tossers who said he is a wanker cause he ruined the fantasy or mystery of the stig? Get your hands off it, he still is a fn talented driver so how does removing a helmut change that….!!!!!

    Go Stigy/Ben

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1435885244 Yani Hendriawan

    that’s pretty cool. i still hope tiff beats him at the challengs

  • Moey

    Top Gear will have good episodes in getting a new stig just like how they got rid of the black stig. Btw what a traitor………..

  • KinFungL

    That’s cool. Wonder how many more viewers will watch 5th Gear just because of him.
    P.S. Anti-spam work: “Stig”…

    • Radbloke

      Not many

    • NT-S

      5th Gear is a far better, more informative “motoring” program anyway.
      Top gear is just light hearted entertainment – nothing of any factual substance or actual real motoring comparisons can be believed – it’s all far too scripted and biased.

      • Mikey_94

        That’s exactly what makes it more entertaining…

      • Moe

        The only thing i hate about Top Gear they dont review american/aussie muscle much last time they did was a 2008 GT500 and a Vauxhall VXR8, i think they should give the 2011 GT500 a haul. Also for once can they give a HSV/FPV Comparison for once NOT Top Gear Australia

        • Aj

          On a worldwide scale, who really cares about these aussie built cars? Really!

          • john

            Nobody!

      • K20A

        I 2nd this. With the risk of sounding like a elitist, I also think 5th gear is the better ‘car show’. TopGear is merely entertainment.

        I’ve been watching TopGear since early 00s, when Clarkson still cares about cars.. but have stopped watching since 04-05. Now he just feeds his ego. Makes me sad when you look on YouTube and watch old episodes of TopGear.. they were good once.

        To be honest, Fifth Gear episodes of late got me worried though.. they started doing ‘challenges’ and tries to simulate some of TopGear programming style. I hope this is not the future of Fifth Gear. They’ve been a good show, with good presenters (proper drivers) and informative content. Needell, Butler-Henderson, Plato, etc. are all drivers first, tv presenter second. And that’s what makes Fifth Gear unique.

        I also highly recommend AutoMotor und Sport TV and Autocar / Evo videos. My dream would be if Autocar / Evo would make their own TV show. Now that would be what separate men and boy(racers). :)

        • Labrys

          I have to say this has me worried also.
          They really need to stick to what they do best and not try and compete with Top Gear. They won’t be able to so don’t try.
          Just give us what makes your show good. Great reviews of all sorts of cars.
          I think they will find more and more people will start watching as people become a little disenchanted with the way Top Gear has been going over the last few years.

      • Paul

        100% agreed!

        I’ve been a motoring and motor racing fan all my life and i enjoy watching 5th Gear.As for top gear i can’t stand that over scripted, fabricated biased rubbish.

    • Igomi Watabi

      It’s just a pity that the episodes of Fifth Gear on free to air are so obvioiusly edited to fit into the half hour timeslot with 10 minutes of ads.

  • Labrys

    Good on him.
    I look forward to seeing how he goes.
    It sounds to me like he wanted to move into a presenting role and away from his previous Stig duties. Possibly the BBC wouldn’t let him so he found a way to do that and make some money.

  • ABMPSV

    Top Gear must find somebody who will beat his time, to be anonymous and work for the same money!!

  • http://www.facebook.com/sammo.8191 Sam Moss

    This is awesome news!
    I actually love Fifth Gear, perhaps even more than Top Gear cause it is more about the cars and less about mucking around and being stupid. I think Ben Collins will be a great addition to what is already a very credible and entertaining car show! :D

    • Dlr1

      Agreed! 5th Gear does a far better job of comparing cars head to head around a track or on the street than the other tossers.

  • Bold

    top gear is entertainment show related to car, not a car program

    for ben, I believe the point is, he did agree to keep things secret, then he broke his promises for profit. That is low.

    • Bold

      fair enough he went to another show, good luck

  • Arky

    Anti-spam word: Stig (come on, no way these are random!)

    If they don’t introduce him on his first episode of Fifth Gear with something like “Some say he likes to walk around in a white plastic suit, and that he never speaks and listens to rubbish music while he drives. All we know is, he’s called Ben Collins” then their writers should be shot.

  • Ben xr6

    Imagine what this will do for ratings!

    Smart move by channel 5.

  • Shak

    Top Gear and Fifth gear are two very different programs with very different ways of doing things. For one, Tiff can drive and be informative. Clarkson can only be entertaining, and it looks like that is what more people want. Either way Backstabber Collins should add value to the Fifth Gear Franchise as he can now do all the high powered vehicles and leave the more mundane reviews to the others.

  • ohreally

    5th gear is still entertaining, and they give a better looksie into what the cars are actually about.

    Unlike topgear’s predictable presentations

    opening.. its dark, some spooky noise, its raining, 500+ quick scene cuts, some carporno shots ofthe exhaust and the breaks…

    Then clarkson gets in and says … oh gee this car is rather unassuming….. BUT WHEN YOU PUT THE FOOT DOWN and turn the traction control off…. it goes like bananas/ its as hot as two rats fornicating in a wool sock/its like a raging bull/steaming through the corners like a millwall hooligan/its like some other funny british phrase/
    cut scenes of the car drifting around a corner

    some more heavily quick cut shots of the car.

    Clarkson rap up (which sounds more like a commercial for the car or a rival manufacturers cheaper car):
    -too much power
    -not enough power
    -some vague thing about the soul being lacking
    -Hey go out and buy the new fiat 500
    -hey go out and buy the new ford something

    and on that bombshell….

  • John of Perth

    I watched 5th Gear and the GT40 being driven really well around the South African track. I get the feeling this program is more about driving & cars than Top Gear.

    To ex Stig Ben Collins – good on you mate – this is a free world and when opportunities present why not?

    To the BBC – sure it was a good idea but it is only a car show – it’s not as if the IP in the Stig is rocket science.

  • Jimmy James

    The whole stig concept was lame anyway, especially the “some say” intros.

    Good luck to Ben and the 5th Gear team – if they keep the focus on cars and avoid trying to take on the Top Gear “entertainment” style of programming, they will do well.

  • Mike D with the master plan

    5th gear kills top gear for quality reviews.
    Like most others, I’m interested in hearing the stig’s comments.

  • UMWHAT

    ehh, this guys only appeal was that he was anonymous. he sucks now