The upcoming reimagining of the fan favorite auto-adoring series Top Gear was born of a controversy of sorts, with former host Jeremy Clarkson getting fired over a physical altercation with a producer. And before the new version can even premiere, reports have risen that problems are already mucking up things behind the scenes, as hosts Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc are already “at war” with each other. But that’s not how Evans and LeBlanc see it.
Matt LeBlanc was similarly blasé about the claims, although after watching him play Joey for so many years, I find myself believing that he might actually miss out on being in a professional war with someone. But I know that’s not the case. Or is it? He does like sandwiches, right?
The “inciting incident” in the pair’s reported clashing was a production stunt last month near The Cenotaph war memorial in London, which drew criticism for being disrespectful, given all the other non-memorial landmarks in the area. Chris Evans was publicly apologetic after the fact, and The Sun recently reported that Evans blamed LeBlanc for turning it into a PR nightmare, which other outlets then ran with. The story also claimed that Evans said LeBlanc was never his choice for a co-host, and that the producers just wanted him on the show to draw in a bigger audience in the U.S. As well, Evans’ attempt to start a friendship with LeBlanc was unsuccessful, and that things were “frosty” between the two.
Not that a couple of jokey Twitter posts are evidence that things are 100% hunky dory between Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc. People have gone to further lengths to cast aside negative media attention, but that probably isn’t the case here. Sometimes where there’s smoke, there isn’t fire; it’s just car tires spinning out on asphalt.
Top Gear, complete with new hosts that may or may not get along, is set to hit BBC America in May, to be followed by a Netflix move at some point. Meanwhile, you’ll be able to see Matt LeBlanc in a more comedic setting for the fifth and final season of Episodes later this year on Showtime.
