Chris Evans is the new presenter of Top Gear after signing a three-year BBC deal to host show with all-new line-up

Chris Evans was tonight revealed as the new host of BBC motoring programme Top Gear. The radio and television presenter has signed a three-year deal to lead an all-new line-up of presenters for the popular BBC Two show.

BBC Radio 2 host Evans - who is known to be a car enthusiast - will replace Jeremy Clarkson, who was sacked earlier this year for assaulting a producer at a hotel in North Yorkshire.

He said: ‘I’m thrilled, Top Gear is my favourite programme of all time. Created by a host of brilliant minds who love cars and understand how to make the massively complicated come across as fun, devil-may-care and effortless.

‘When in fact of course, it's anything but and that's the genius of Top Gear's global success.

‘I promise I will do everything I possibly can to respect what has gone on before and take the show forward.’ Kim Shillinglaw, controller of BBC Two and BBC Four, added: ‘I am so delighted that Chris will be presenting the next series of Top Gear.

‘His knowledge of and passion for cars are well-known and combined with his sheer inventiveness and cheeky unpredictability he is the perfect choice to take our much-loved show into the future.

‘Chris is a huge fan of Top Gear and has great respect for the craft and work ethic of one of the best production teams in the world.

‘He knows the phenomenal attention to detail it takes to make a single sequence of Top Gear, let alone a whole series. He is already full of brilliant ideas and I can't wait for him to get started.