It may have been a TV turkey, but it seems the new Top Gear won't be getting any festive meat this year.
In the wake of Chris Evans' hasty departure from the motoring show following poor viewing figures, reports suggest that the show's planned pair of Christmas specials have now been cancelled.
An unnamed source told the Daily Star that, "We need to focus on making sure we have a great series to come back with in 2017," while a a BBC representative added that "planning for Top Gear series 24 is under way. The team will be working towards bringing the show back some time in the early part of 2017. So all our energies are on that."
Former Friends star Matt LeBlanc remains the favourite to be given sole control of the show, following praise for his performances in the first post-Clarkson series, both from critics and Evans himself, who said, "For me, he is the man. He is the captain Top Gear truly needs going forward, the perfect torso for the rest of TG's limbs. Not only does he eat, sleep, breathe and dream engines, propshafts and trail-braking, but the overwhelming quality that struck me about him is that he's just such a pro."
Whether or not he takes over as the lead, it seems that there will be an addition to the presenting roster, with bookies currently listing daredevil Guy Martin, Steve Coogan and Jodie Kidd as the three favourites. Though Lethal Bizzle has just thrown his snapback into the ring...
Given LeBlanc's previous issues with turkeys, we're not surprised they've decided to give the festive show a miss...
