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An automotive YouTube star, a former NRL player and a Survivor host will front the reborn Top Gear Australia television show, due to be released on streaming service Paramount+ in 2024.
UPDATE, 25 March 2024: Top Gear Australia will return to local television screens from May 2024.
In a series of social media posts, Paramount+ confirmed the new show – starring Beau Ryan, Jonathan LaPaglia, and Blair ‘Moog’ Joscelyne – would be launching this May on the streaming platform.
Other social media posts from audience members suggest the studio component of the show has already begun filming, with the hosts spending months overseas reviewing vehicles and creating adventures which will feature throughout the season.
Our original story continues unchanged below.
24 October 2023: The Australian divisions of television giants BBC Studios and Paramount have confirmed Top Gear Australia will return in 2024, more than a decade after the local version of the world-famous British TV show was axed.
After reports of a Top Gear Australia revival circulated last week, BBC Studios Australia and New Zealand – the British broadcaster’s local division – and streaming service Paramount+ today announced the rebooted series will feature three new hosts when it airs next year.
Headlining the host line-up is Blair Joscelyne, better known as ‘Moog’ from the Australian automotive YouTube channel Mighty Car Mods.
Both Moog and best-friend Martin ‘Marty’ Mulholland have been building, repairing and modifying cars for more than 15 years, amassing almost 3.8 million YouTube subscribers and more than one billion views to date.
While Marty will not be involved with Top Gear Australia, a social media post by Mighty Car Mods told fans of the YouTube show it will continue despite Moog moving into the world of mainstream TV for the duration of the filming of the new series.
Moog will be joined by Beau Ryan – a former NRL player and current host of The Amazing Race Australia – and Jonathan LaPaglia, host of Australian Survivor.
Season one of Top Gear Australia in 2008 starred Warren Brown, Charlie Cox, and Steve Pizzati. In season two in 2009 James Morrison replaced Charlie Cox.
After the first two seasons aired on SBS, Top Gear Australia switched to Channel Nine for its third season with Shane Jacobson and Ewen Page presenting alongside Steve Pizzati.
Season three was comprised of four episodes, airing in 2010, and season four took place in 2011, with the last episode aired in 2012.
As previously reported, well-placed industry sources have told Drive the Top Gear Australia revival will be filmed by a BBC crew based here for three months over summer.
Drive understands BBC representatives have already approached a number of car companies in Australia for vehicles to test – including a new twist on the ‘Star In A Reasonably Priced Car’ segment, in which famous people test their skills on a closed course against a stopwatch.
The revival of Top Gear Australia as the UK version of the show remains under a cloud, following a serious crash late last year which caused permanent facial damage to one of its hosts, former cricketer Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff.
While production staff for Top Gear have reportedly been told to ‘look for other work’, a BBC spokesperson recently told UK publication The Independent: “A decision on the timing of future Top Gear shows will be made in due course with BBC Content.“
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