Former Friends star Matt LeBlanc, who just joined the hit UK TV show Top Gear, is now threatening to quit the series unless his co-host Chris Evans is fired.
According to multiple sources behind-the-scenes, LeBlanc has refused to shoot more episodes until Evans is out.
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The car show, which used to be helmed by acerbic host Jeremy Clarkson and had high ratings, has now slipped to record-low audience numbers. While LeBlanc was not a fan favourite out of the gate, reports indicate that it’s actually Evans who’s impacting the show’s performance.
One frequently heard complaint is that Evans is too “shouty,” while LeBlanc has allegedly grown frustrated with Evans’ perceived rudeness and supposedly “frosty” attitude toward the rest of the Top Gear team.
Since this season began, its ratings have maintained an average of around 2.5 million viewers per episode, which is a far cry from its performance under Clarkson, who drew ratings over two times higher.
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“The big question now is who goes and who stays,” a source told the Sun. “The team does not gel at all and the atmosphere between the presenters is decidedly frosty. It’s very much a picture of him – Chris – and them. Matt has already indicated that he won’t continue on any further series if Chris remains part of it, and he is far from the only one who isn’t happy.”
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Evans has reportedly “firmly distanced” himself from the Top Gear team, refusing to “encourage” anyone and even “pretending to bump his head against a wall in frustration” when a recent guest had trouble with his lines.
The BBC has not commented on the debacle.
Clarkson was fired from his Top Gear hosting duties in 2015 after he punched a producer.
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