Ben Collins

[andym1603]

I have just read this and was wondering what the PH massive think of this move?

‘Top Gear’s famous masked racing driver The Stig is speeding away from the BBC to join Channel Five.

Last month, the mysterious man in the helmet was revealed to be Ben Collins. The BBC fired him after a bitter court battle because he wanted to reveal his identity in his autobiography.

Now, Collins is set to make his debut on the new series of ‘Fifth Gear’, which begins on Friday 8 October.

Collins told The Guardian: "I'm delighted to be joining the ‘Fifth Gear’ team. "And I am looking forward to a new set of exciting challenges, apparently with and without the helmet."

Steve Gowans, the Channel 5 head of factual entertainment, added: "We're delighted to have Ben on board – it will be fascinating to see how he does in a head-to-head with Tiff and Jason Plato – the best drivers on TV."

Sorry I don't know how to link articles, This was on the btyahoo home page.
Andy..

Edited by andym1603 on Friday 1st October 16:30

[Schermerhorn]

Vicki Butler Henderson - racing driver
Tiff Needell - racing driver
Jason Plato - racing driver
Ben Collins - racing driver


How many more racing drivers to Fifth Gear need? They should go back to the 1 hour programme format!

[Sixpackpert]

article said:

...it will be fascinating to see how he does in a head-to-head with Tiff and Jason Plato – the best drivers on TV."

Unless there is some other form of motorsport on at the same time, or Corrie.

Edited by Sixpackpert on Friday 1st October 16:44

[RobM77]

Schermerhorn said:

Vicki Butler Henderson - racing driver
Tiff Needell - racing driver
Jason Plato - racing driver
Ben Collins - racing driver


How many more racing drivers to Fifth Gear need? They should go back to the 1 hour programme format!

You can never have enough. If I'm watching the BBC Proms I want a knowledgeable musician presenting, not bloody Alan Titchmarsh. Equally, I listen to Steve Davis' opinion on snooker above a TV presenter's. And if I'm watching a programme on performance cars, I want a top driver presenting too. A great move for Ben; I look forward to watching his first review!

[carmadgaz]

andym1603 said:

Last month, the mysterious man in the helmet was revealed to be Ben Collins.

Wasn't he unhelmeted here years ago? Personally I think breaking his agreement was wrong but it was hardly a secret anymore.

[bosscerbera]

Sixpackpert said:

article said said:

...it will be fascinating to see how he does in a head-to-head with Tiff and Jason Plato – the best drivers on TV."

Unless there is some other form of motorsport on at the same time, or Corrie.

[Gizmo!]

All very well having one or two racing drivers, but I'm not sure they're the best presenters or best placed to tell me how something is to drive on the road...

[OllieWinchester]

I was genuinely suprised at the furore this whole 'unmasking The Stig' thing created, I was always under the impression that his secret identity thing was all a bit tongue in cheek. Lets be honest, everyone knew who it was most of the time anyway, I'm bemused at reports he had to wear his lid on set at all times in case any of the production crew saw his face, and I'm staggered at the vitriol from Clarkson surrounding his unmasking.

Weird all round.

[TTwiggy]

Gizmo! said:

All very well having one or two racing drivers, but I'm not sure they're the best presenters or best placed to tell me how something is to drive on the road...

agreed - do the general motoring public really need to know how fast a 1.1 Yaris is around a track?

[RobM77]

TTwiggy said:

Gizmo! said:

All very well having one or two racing drivers, but I'm not sure they're the best presenters or best placed to tell me how something is to drive on the road...

agreed - do the general motoring public really need to know how fast a 1.1 Yaris is around a track?

That's what Johnny and that fat bloke are for though isn't it? Horses for courses etc.

[Conian]

something else that 5G is ripping off from TG while all the time declaring themselves to be so different from TG

[Mafioso]

I for one have been so sick of hearing the "big news" about the real identity of the Stig. I've known for years that it's been Ben (through many threads on PH, especially the Hammond crash report. Why the press haven't picked up on it before is baffling...

[rsv gone!]

RobM77 said:

Schermerhorn said:

Vicki Butler Henderson - racing driver
Tiff Needell - racing driver
Jason Plato - racing driver
Ben Collins - racing driver


How many more racing drivers to Fifth Gear need? They should go back to the 1 hour programme format!

You can never have enough. If I'm watching the BBC Proms I want a knowledgeable musician presenting, not bloody Alan Titchmarsh. Equally, I listen to Steve Davis' opinion on snooker above a TV presenter's. And if I'm watching a programme on performance cars, I want a top driver presenting too. A great move for Ben; I look forward to watching his first review!

How much better would top gear have been if they'd used Nigel Mansell to present it?

[mattviatura]

andym1603 said:

"apparently with and without the helmet."

Is Mike Brewer making guest appearances then?

[RobM77]

rsv gone! said:

RobM77 said:

Schermerhorn said:

Vicki Butler Henderson - racing driver
Tiff Needell - racing driver
Jason Plato - racing driver
Ben Collins - racing driver


How many more racing drivers to Fifth Gear need? They should go back to the 1 hour programme format!

You can never have enough. If I'm watching the BBC Proms I want a knowledgeable musician presenting, not bloody Alan Titchmarsh. Equally, I listen to Steve Davis' opinion on snooker above a TV presenter's. And if I'm watching a programme on performance cars, I want a top driver presenting too. A great move for Ben; I look forward to watching his first review!

How much better would top gear have been if they'd used Nigel Mansell to present it?

Well you obviously need someone who can present well too, but provided they can get their point across, I'd far rather listen to a professional driver's opinion than a 6'2" fuzzy haired bloke who can't even balance an Elise in a corner properly Imagine what The Sky at Night would be like with Floella Benajamin presenting it?

In my opinion a presenter needs both specialist knowledge and the ability to communicate. My job is a good analogy - I do training management occasionally and I wouldn't hire a trainer to teach C++ unless he could code really well in C++. Also, I wouldn't train a subject that I wasn't proficient in. Similarly, I don't want some muppet who doesn't even understand car control telling me what the latest Ferrari is like to drive and how it's better than the last model.

[topsparks]

Just read his book and its a cracking read.Good luck to the bloke,anyone who can pass the T.A SAS selection is OK in my book!.

[Mroad]

OllieWinchester said:

I was genuinely suprised at the furore this whole 'unmasking The Stig' thing created, I was always under the impression that his secret identity thing was all a bit tongue in cheek. Lets be honest, everyone knew who it was most of the time anyway, I'm bemused at reports he had to wear his lid on set at all times in case any of the production crew saw his face, and I'm staggered at the vitriol from Clarkson surrounding his unmasking.

Weird all round.

Weird is right, especially as he's appeared on the program a few times as himself and not the Stig.
Skydiver landing in the back of a moving car, Ben Collins was driving.
Downhill "landboard" race against an Evo rally car and Bowler, Ben Collins was driving.

[AcidReflux]

mattviatura said:

andym1603 said:

"apparently with and without the helmet."

Is Mike Brewer making guest appearances then?

[Vvroom]

mattviatura said:

andym1603 said:

"apparently with and without the helmet."

Is Mike Brewer making guest appearances then?

Liked that. Well done sir

[Daaaveee]

OllieWinchester said:

I was genuinely suprised at the furore this whole 'unmasking The Stig' thing created, I was always under the impression that his secret identity thing was all a bit tongue in cheek. Lets be honest, everyone knew who it was most of the time anyway, I'm bemused at reports he had to wear his lid on set at all times in case any of the production crew saw his face, and I'm staggered at the vitriol from Clarkson surrounding his unmasking.

Weird all round.

Agreed with this. It was all rather strange IMO.

Still, it will be good to see Ben outside of his Stig guise, and to be honest he has had a good innings as the white Stig! I also look forward to seeing a new Stig.