Bookies predict 'Top Gear' demise after new presenters announced

It is the beginning of the end for Top Gear. Or at least as far as Paddy Power are concerned.

Many Top Gear fans were left aghast on Monday morning when former English cricketer Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff and comedian and Take Me Out host Paddy McGuinness were announced as the BBC flagship show’s new presenters. The pair join motoring journalist and race driver Chris Harris who joined the show full-time in 2016.

Paddy Power is already predicting the show is ‘gearing up for failure’ with the somewhat obscure presenter line-up.

Their markets included:

• 10/1 odds on the show to be cancelled by the end of 2020

• 14/1 Flintoff and McGuinness’ season will be Top Gear’s last ever

• 5/1 that either Flintoff or McGuinness are to be replaced after just one season

Paddy Power’s spokesperson said: “It seems Paddy could truly be on the Road to Nowhere as he takes up a new role on Top Gear. Both he and Freddie Flintoff have been brought in to resurrect the show, but we think the curtains could be closing fast.

“So much so, that the odds of the show being cancelled altogether are shortening, but it’s more likely that one of the pair will ‘do a Chris Evans’ and only last a series.”

Top Gear has been plagued with issues ever since its former hosts Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson and James May signed a massive deal to move from BBC to Amazon Prime in 2015.

Chris Evans left the series after just six episodes in 2016, while Matt Le Blanc announced he would be leaving the series this May.

The new line-up of Top Gear presenters are expected to make their debut in early 2019.

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