Chris Evans To Lead All New Top Gear Line-Up

Chris Evans has signed a three-year deal to replace Jeremy Clarkson as the presenter of Top Gear.

It ends months of speculation over who would fill Clarkson's shoes after it emerged he attacked a producer on the show at a hotel and was later dropped by the BBC.

Evans, 49, will lead an all new line-up, the corporation said.

The replacements for Clarkson's co-hosts Richard Hammond and James May have not been announced.

"I'm thrilled, Top Gear is my favourite programme of all time," Evans said, praising a programme "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".

"I promise I will do everything I possibly can to respect what has gone on before and take the show forward."

Tweeting minutes after the BBC announcement, Evans said: "First tweet as new Top Gear host. I would like to say Jeremy, Richard & James are the greatest. And NO I'm not leaving the R2 Breakfast Show."

He celebrated his new job by playing famous driving songs on his radio show this morning.

The DJ and radio presenter , known for his passion for cars, had been one of the favourites to replace Clarkson, though in March he appeared to rule himself out in a tweet to Sky News.

"RE @SkyNews Top Gear debate. I can categorically say I am not and will NEVER be running for office. Pls discount my candidacy," he said at the time.

Evans has a multimillion-pound collection of vintage cars, which includes the only working car built for the original Chitty Chitty Bang Bang film.

He spent £2.2m on a black 1971 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spyder, according to the Motoring Research website, which said that was believed to be a world-record price.

Clarkson has previously said his Top Gear sacking was his "own silly fault" and that he was "very sad" to have to leave the show after working for the BBC for 27 years.

The BBC dropped the presenter after an internal investigation found a "line had been crossed" during his "fracas" with Top Gear producer Oisin Tymon at the hotel.

Mr Tymon had to drive himself to hospital after Clarkson left him with a split lip. However, he did not press charges and North Yorkshire Police took no action .

Clarkson received widespread public support in the wake of the incident - one million people signed a petition calling for the BBC to reinstate him.

Production on the new series of Top Gear will start in the next few weeks, the BBC said.