The Stig is who?

[Pedro_The_Swift]

(http://www.autoblog.com/category/celebrities/)
Top Gear's Stig Revealed! (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/19/top-gears-stig-revealed/)

by Dan Roth (http://www.autoblog.com/bloggers/dan-roth/) on Jan 19th 2009 at 9:27AM
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/01/586.jpg (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/4286448/Who-is-the-Stig-The-answer.html)Fans of Top Gear might want to prepare themselves for another Stig death soon. When "Black Stig" Perry McCarthy revealed himself, Clarkson, Hammond and May offed him. Now, according to the UK's Telegraph, the "White Stig" has apparently ended the mystery, revealing himself as 33 year-old Ben Collins. Collins has raced professionally in everything from NASCAR to LeMans, and most recently served as Agent 007's double for sequences of Quantum of Solace that required fancy wheel work. It's been such a secret for so long, how did the veil of silence come to be broken? Collins himself apparently revealed his day job to the owner of an art gallery in Bristol, England when asking for help producing a limited-edition print of The Stig plying his trade.

A builder had also come across the famed white suit and gloves on display in a cabinet while doing work at Collins' home, and there has been conjecture in the past that Collins is The Stig. Now that the cat is out of the bag, we wonder if there's much wailing and gnashing of teeth in the halls of Top Gear's offices. Secret identity or no, Collins has proven himself as a fantastic driver as The Stig, and with this latest revelation, he potentially faces "The Sack" as they say in Merry Old.

No confirmation yet from Clarkson, Hammond or May on this revelation, and the only word out of Top Gear is that they "...never comment on speculation as to who or what The Stig is." Hmm. In any case, we are left to wonder... what color will a new Stig be? Red? Gold? Blue? Thanks for the tip, Richard!

[Phoenix]

Old news !!

[Pedro_The_Swift]

how old?

[Phoenix]

dunno, I saw something about it about a month ago, but obviously nothing confirmed.

The sun did an article about it a week or so back, but did not reveal his identity.

[Grover-98]

I don't want to know who he/it is ruins the fun! :(

[SteveT]

Old news???? when asked how old your reply
"dunno, I saw something about it about a month ago, but obviously nothing confirmed.

The sun did an article about it a week or so back, but did not reveal his identity."

well thats not old news because you "dunno and nothing was confirmed"

[Phoenix]

Yeah, I know, but i've read on fan sites for a while that is the stig's identity, and this article still doesn't confirm it.

I doubt they will boot him as he isn't the one making the song and noise about it being him, unlike the last stig.

[hoadie72]

He was named in Richard Hammond's crash investigation so it is old news.

[Phoenix]

I believe a F1 commentator let it slip on a live broadcast once as well.

[mcrover]

There is also a clip of him on Youtube with the stig helmet off and under his arm but it's from the side but then they cut to similar shots of Collins and it looks like the same bloke.

They had their chance on the last episode......they could have put Nitros on that van thing they were trying to make go as fast as an Evo Lancer and blown him up :D

They did mention that that was what they did and it killed the last stig :o

[45tr0]

So i know the aussie series is crap - but any bets on the Aussie stig? I seem to recall some conjecture on the TGA thread when it first appeared...

take some guesses... I'll tell you if you're right :D

[rick130]

So i know the aussie series is crap - but any bets on the Aussie stig? I seem to recall some conjecture on the TGA thread when it first appeared...

take some guesses... I'll tell you if you're right :D

Looks a lot like Jason Bargwana (sp?) to me ;)

[V8Landy]

Mark skaife

[rick130]

Mark skaife

Naa, it'd be a NSW based driver, and someone who didn't have a full time contract this year.
Skaifey wouldn't have had the time, and probably would have been contractually unable.

[101RRS]

Someone with time on his hands - John Bowe

[Phoenix]

I do believe the conjecture originall centered around the bates brothers for the aussie stig

[mcrover]

I do believe the conjecture originall centered around the bates brothers for the aussie stig

Yeah, either of the Bates boys would fill out that race suit these days quite well.

But isnt Neal still contracted to....Mityoturu?

There are a lot of telented drivers out there that have never really raced in the main stream light, who ever knew that Charlie Cox (TGA Ex presenter) had raced at Bathurst?

Yes he really did apparently, I read it on a motorbike racing web site from the UK, he was also a commentator over there.

He's still crap but as I said, who would have known:eek:

[45tr0]

Looks a lot like Jason Bargwana (sp?) to me ;)

;)...

[barney]

which aussie stig are you talking about, the tall one, the short one or the chunky one?

[Pedro_The_Swift]

;)...

so,, a nods as good as a wink to a blind bat---
you, my friend, have to back that wink up with something,,,:eek:



which aussie stig are you talking about, the tall one, the short one or the chunky one?

yea Barney,, there WAS a TALL one!!!
:eek:,, maybe 6-2, 6-3

[45tr0]

a certain family member of mine may or may not work in Television Production and may or may not have been responsible for coordinating pre-production on the show... (don't you just love non-disclosure contracts? almost as much as drunken christmas conversations... loose lips sink ships!)

Also - just to back up the "Charlie-is-a-prat" line - apparently he refused to do the show unless his precious trophy wife was given the job of floor manager. So the pushy blonde who bosses everyone around on set is actually "Mrs Prat".

They are seriously considering changing the host line up for the upcoming second season.

[rick130]

;)...

The 'style' looked familiar. Used to race against Squeaky. :D



<snip>

They are seriously considering changing the host line up for the upcoming second season.

When are they auditioning ?

Surely another Landy friendly ex-petrol head presenter would be good :twisted:

[Phoenix]

I thougth they had already given james morrison the job?

[barney]

ALTHOUGH A PRAT, in all fairness if i were to relocate my family to australia for a job and my wife was in the industry and capable, i would insist on her having a job there as well.
but! if he was crying "poor me" for having to relocate to aus for the show, one has to ask why he auditioned in the first place, or was he a plant from the pommy franchisors?

[45tr0]

amazingly enough, Charlie wasn't a plant but his inclusion was a cynical attempt to try and give the Aussie series some credibility in the UK, where he raced and later commentated touring Cars...

Barney - As for his wife and the job, i see your point a bit... but the fact he used it as a bargaining chip still doesn't sit well with me. You'd hope she could get it on her own merit...

Unfortunately I don't know any future plans for the show - my source has recently jumped ship (back) to the V8 supercars side of TV. Although I could tell you a thing or two about a certain midget TV presenter and wannabe race driver... but that's another thread.

[barney]

you could always pm me.
but i think i know who you mean and have my own opinion about him.
a cartoonist acquiantance of mine introduced me to him, he was minimally polite but preoccupied with his own agenda.
aside from that, i feel he has settled in to the job at TGA and is developing his own persona.
i reckon the next season will be make or break. it is a hard act to follow, hwat we are used to is a pommy humour on top gear, it's innevitable that an aussie one is going to be different as we have a different sense of humour, that is those of us that still have one!

[45tr0]

but i think i know who you mean and have my own opinion about him.
a cartoonist acquiantance of mine introduced me...

Cartoonist acquaintance eh? rather a knowledgeable friend to have then, I would imagine. ;)

I actually think we could be speaking of different pygmy TV hosts with a penchant for cars... the one I'm thinking of likes the number Seven, weather, dancing with astrology, and suffered an unfortunate incident last year involving an oversized vehicle which left him even shorter...


i reckon the next season will be make or break. it is a hard act to follow, hwat we are used to is a pommy humour on top gear, it's innevitable that an aussie one is going to be different as we have a different sense of humour, that is those of us that still have one!


I think, with the exception of Charlie's outsized ego, the TGA formula will come together a bit with time. It was foolish of them to follow the formula so closely (A paint-by-numbers attempt at the Mona Lisa), but i think it's got the ingredients for a good show... That is if any of the car companies will agree to lend them vehicles for the second season, following their expensive escapades in season 1.

[barney]

oh that one, the spineless one!
i would've thought he would have been good for TGA, but probably had other committments