We don’t know why Jay “The twat in the hat” Kay is still considered a celeb - he hasn’t made a good record since… er, we’ll get back to you on that - but he’s just about famous enough to get a second chance at being a “Star in a Reasonably Priced Car” on the latest series of Top Gear.
The main reason he was asked back was as a ringer - Simon “Codpiece” Cowell had been No.1 for ages, and the production team wanted a petrolheaded star who could bring about a change at the top of the leaderboard. In Kay, they got their man.
This video claims that Ben Collins is The Stig. Englishman Collins has driven in NASCAR and F3, and worked as a consultant on Top Gear.
We have to admit, The Stig’s voice does sound remarkably similar to that of Collins. And Scottish racing driver Susie Stoddart said in an interview that she knew for a fact that Collins was The Stig.
So there you have it. Case closed. The Stig IS Ben Collins. Er, maybe.
Spanish star is NOT the masked Top Gear test driver
It has been rumoured that Nando Alonso is The Stig. But those rumours were quashed when The Stig made an appearance at the British Grand Prix recently - watched by Alonso!
The mystery driver performed a few laps of Silverstone at the wheel of a two-seater F1 car, accompanied by a fan who had paid £35,000 for the honour in a charity auction.
Alonso watched the Stig in action, and was impressed by what he saw: “Whoever’s in that car is a seriously good driver,” the former double world champion is quoted as telling Top Gear’s website. “I’ve no idea who he is, but he’s definitely ex-F1,” Alonso added.
A couple of pics of The Stig at Silverstone below:
If you are not a real celebrity, but want to behave like one in the comfort of your own worldwide web, then here’s a way. This simple game, a new addition to Top Gear’s website, recreates the infamous “Star in a reasonably priced car” feature. Steer your car through the tricky Hammerhead, then accelerate out of Gambon to see how you match up with the likes of Simon Cowell (the fastest star yet) and actor Brian Cox (the slowest).
We’re not very good, so far anyway. Our best time is a frankly shit 2:05:11, which we have no doubt that you can beat with some ease.
Who lives in a white helmet like this? Let’s look at the clues:
1. In the above clip, The Stig reads a copy of Metro newspaper with a story about Lewis Hamilton on the back page. On seeing the story, Stig throws down the paper in disgust. Alonso is Hamilton’s great rival and enemy - you do the maths.
2. Alonso has a home in Oxford. So does Jeremy Clarkson, Top Gear’s main presenter.
Check out this promotional poster, spotted on the side of BMW Sauber’s motorhome, currently parked up in Barcelona. It seems the we’re a step closer to solving the mystery that is the identity of The Stig – there’s more than one of them!
Identity of BBC show’s masked driver remains unknown
Like some undefeated Mexican wrestler, Top Gear’s masked test driver, aka The Stig, has managed to preserve his identity. But as the BBC motoring show’s popularity goes through the roof, more and more people are taking an interest in the man beneath the white Simpson Diamondback helmet. We do know that the first Stig, who wore black overalls and a black helmet, was “played” by Perry McCarthy, a journeyman F1 driver (slight oxymoron that, but you get the idea) who tested for Williams and Benetton in the 1990s. However, McCarthy’s “black Stig” was killed off at the beginning of the third series of the show.
