guardian I have to say I don't agree with Clarkson at all on this. You cannot expect somebody to play a role like that and not attempt to cash in on the name-recognition, or just make people know who you are. It is unreasonable to expect anonymity of a character like the Stig and I also think it doesn't even matter whether or not his name is known; I think the joke works either way.
And really, does it actually matter? I mean it's not like it was that well kept a secret anyway. And, at the end of the day, it doesn't detract from the awesomeness of the character. Yes ... character.
It's the principle that matters- if you've signed an NDA, you've agreed not to disclose stuff. That's all there is to it.
But can you really blame him for wanting to be able to stand up in public and say "I was the Stig"? Maybe sometimes NDAs are just stupid.
I'm afraid "the NDA is stupid" is not a legal defense for breaching it. That said, The Stig is the only reason I watch this show, so they'd better get a new one or keep the current guy, either way.
I just would've gotten another Stig and never acknowledged it was different in any way. Too late now though.
My money's on black Stig making a return (obviously not portrayed by Perry McCarthy or Ben Collins). They need some way of "standardizing" the lap times of the cars they test and short of adding a fourth unmasked host whose sole job is to do the laps, the mysterious Stig's the best way to do it.
All he had to do then is resign from the show prior to writing his book, or at least renegotiate his contract.
Eh, just kill the current incarnation off and get a new one. Top Gear was never about the Stig. Top Gear works because of the chemistry between May, Clarkson and Hammond.
Just get another Stig. I don't see the big problem. So, the last one was a prick and didn't fulfill his contract. Boo-Freaking-Hoo. The show isn't about The Stig; it's about the three hosts playing around with cars as a backdrop theme.
What will happen with the power lap board? Did they start a new board when the first Stig was killed in that aircraft carrier accident?
They'll just hire someone else. Maybe it's time for a Stig with a different coloured uniform. The first one had a black one.
There are a billion threads on this on Final gear, We just think they will just stick another guy in the white suit. Here is a little interview you need to go 26 minutes into it unless you like belly dancing. http://www.witneytv.co.uk/ Had to smile when he said greed is bad, he's one of the biggest Tories on the planet.
^ I don't know about biggest, but quite possibly the tallest. Of course they'll just get another one and lets be honest, sacking the guy is more than a little redundant. Doing what he did was clearly just his way of getting as much as he could get out of his resignation. There's no way he'd ever expect to stay on after something like this, so it's clear he wanted out, one way or another. I think this way he ends up with a nice tidy little sum rather than a polite reference and a cheep watch. I'd never begrudge someone a pay-check. Clarkson doesn't have too much to complain about since Top Gear just got a ton of free advertising as now everyone and their dog will be tuning in to see hat they do next.
You only watch Top Gear to see the Stig run one or two cars around a track for a minute and a half? Because that's pretty much all he does. It's a cool gimmick, but the Stig is not the reason I watch Top Gear.