The Stig Revealed!

El Guapo!

The stig has been identified today as......

Ben Collins

Speculation about his identity has ranged from former Formula one champion Michael Schumacher to Mr Bean creator Rowan Atkinson.

But the seven-year mystery surrounding top Gear's masked test driver the Stig appears finally to be over.

Financial documents have been unearthed which link 35-year-old racing driver and stuntman Ben Collins to the secret role.


Unmasked: Top Gear star The Stig with special guests Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise. The Stig's true identity has been revealed as Ben Collins


Out of character: Ben Collins, as he looks without his helmet and visor

The Stig's unmasking comes after the Daily Mail last week revealed how he was locked in a legal battle with the BBC over plans to reveal his identity in his autobiography.

Lawyers warned that secrecy was essential to his role in the BBC2 programme.

The clue to his identity emerges in the accounts of his company, Collins Autosport.

It recorded a 'cornerstone year' in December 2003, a month after the white-clad Stig's first appearance on TV.

This was partly down to 'driving services provided for the BBC, mainly in the Top Gear programme', the accounts said.

Directors noted the work offered 'good long-term prospects for continuing income,' the Sunday Times reported.

Collins, who has doubled for Daniel Craig for stunts in a James Bond film, was named as a possible Stig after a builder claimed to have seen the distinctive white outfit at the driver's Bristol home.

But he has always refused to answer questions on the subject. Asked about it at the weekend, he said he was


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1305162/Top-Gears-The-Stig-unmasked-Ben-Collins-company-accounts.html?ito=feeds-newsxml#ixzz0xRxbOGEw

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1305162/Top-Gears-The-Stig-unmasked-Ben-Collins-company-accounts.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Myrddin

Dean09 wrote: »

The stig has been identified today as......

Ben Collins

Ah a Daily Mail articel/link. Well that's me sold.

Seriously, he was probably top of the list of probable drivers who could have been The Stig. It wouldn't be a big surprise, just a pity that the mystery was over.

Owen

Wasn't it supposed to be Ben Collins 2 years ago too? Some builder found the uniform in his house when working there. They wouldn't want to call to my house, I've got the same kit!

Myrddin

PaintDoctor wrote: »

Wasn't it supposed to be Ben Collins 2 years ago too? Some builder found the uniform in his house when working there. They wouldn't want to call to my house, I've got the same kit!

The Stigs Irish Cousin.....

Some say, that if HE was Joe Duffy, he'd tell everyone to grow up and stop whinging...

Some say, that he said JESUS CHRIST, even after the Blasphemy Bill was passed...

All we know he's called The Paint Doctor

Wowreally?

they keep chaning him, ti was orignally collin mcrae but he posted it in his auto biography then michael went back to F1 now its ben collins

Kintarō Hattori

I can't imagine why he would want to reveal his identity. His job on Top Gear was well paid and should the show have finished he would have been able to cash in on his time as the Stig. Doing so now while the show is still current just seems silly really.

Wowreally?

well if you watch the video of when schumaker revelaed himself he said hee was fed up of all the publicity behind "who really is the stig"

Brendog

I knew it....

grimloch

I thought alot knew about this since he was named something along the lines of the "performance driving technical consultant" back when Hammond had that crash of his.

Back last year, sometime around the summer if I recall, a british paper outed him aswell. Maybe it got drowned out by all that Shcumacher business though.

ScrubsfanChris

I posted this 3 days before that article:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=67569768&postcount=9

Think of The Stig as a character and not a person

Dman001

Wasn't the Stig revealed last year?

Myrddin

Confirmed as Ben Colins on Sky News - link. If there's another season it should be interesting...

death1234567

Old news...

Myrddin

death1234567 wrote: »

Old news...

Just saying it's no longer rumour/speculation, you'll have to forgive those of us who wern't 100% sure for the last seven years.

branners69

I never understood the massive interest in the Stigs identity, who really gives a sh1t?

Lets face it Top Gear has gone pants so maybe Ben Collins decided to bail out while the going was mediocre?

Daemos

He may have 'been' The Stig, but I doubt they'll keep him on after this. Perry McCarthy as the Black Stig was killed of after he revealed it himself.

Cue speculation on who Stig III will be

Chronic Rick

Admittedly I rushed this to have it up while it was still relevant. sorry if it's a little crappy
PS. it got cut off a little at the bottom so it should read the baby stig

Professey Chin

Wowreally? wrote: »

well if you watch the video of when schumaker revelaed himself he said hee was fed up of all the publicity behind "who really is the stig"

It was just Schmuacher that 1 time cause it was his FXX they were driving on the track

Chuck Finlay

Some say ... he's been fired by the BBC.

kuro_man

yep, its old news
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showp...2&postcount=55

Degag

I'm just surprised that it's been kept "secret" for so long.... and wonder what colour the next Stig's overalls will be!

anonymous_joe

Well everyone knew it was Ben Collins.

robinph

It's been known who it was for ages, but him coming out and putting it in print is wrong. The Stig is a character and part of that is that we don't know who it is for certain.

Buffman

Sounds like the Stig may be dead and is to be replaced by something new???

Clarkson seems a bit peed off!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q-3QjxsdCk

messymess

Seriously, I don't get the big 'hoo haa' over this. Why does anyone care who the stig is?

Top gear has become so much of an entertainment program that even my 77 year old mother watches it ... and she can't even drive! She doesn't know, or give a ****, who these racing drivers are. As do a lot people. Hell, I'm big into motors and I don't even know anything about him.

Honestly, does it really matter? Am I missing something really important?

Myrddin

No it doesn't really matter, but it doesn't stop people being curious.

The Don

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

I can't imagine why he would want to reveal his identity. His job on Top Gear was well paid and should the show have finished he would have been able to cash in on his time as the Stig. Doing so now while the show is still current just seems silly really.

Ya he's really drove over his own foot. Whatever made him do it. I'll be sorry to see him go.

That video Buffman posted would point that there will be another series so it'll be interesting to see if they do something different that a new driver and a new colour.

-gilly-09-

Ye he really shot himself in the foot. If he didn’t reveal himself then he could have made a good few quid after the show ends and still kept many people wondering who he was and kept himself in some form of limelight. I can't remember how much he was on a show but it was a very good wage.
What will he do now? The only upside I can see is he gets his name out as a very decent driver and can do a lot more work as stunt driver.

mike65

The Stig splits - for Channel 5

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/01/the-stig-top-gear-channel-5

Richard Desmond's Channel 5 has hired Ben Collins, the racing driver who played Top Gear's the Stig, to appear in rival motoring show Fifth Gear.

Collins, who has appeared as the helmet-wearing "mystery" driver on BBC2's Top Gear from 2003, was ditched from the show after it emerged he was preparing to publish a book on his racing experiences and unmask himself as the Stig. Last month the BBC failed to get an injunction to halt the publication of Collins's autobiography.

He will make his debut on the show, which also features former Top Gear presenters Tiff Needell and Vicki Butler-Henderson, when the new series of Fifth Gear starts next Friday night.

Myrddin

mike65 wrote: »

The Stig splits - for Channel 5

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/01/the-stig-top-gear-channel-5

Richard Desmond's Channel 5 has hired Ben Collins, the racing driver who played Top Gear's the Stig, to appear in rival motoring show Fifth Gear.

Collins, who has appeared as the helmet-wearing "mystery" driver on BBC2's Top Gear from 2003, was ditched from the show after it emerged he was preparing to publish a book on his racing experiences and unmask himself as the Stig. Last month the BBC failed to get an injunction to halt the publication of Collins's autobiography.

He will make his debut on the show, which also features former Top Gear presenters Tiff Needell and Vicki Butler-Henderson, when the new series of Fifth Gear starts next Friday night.

Oh I can imagine the Clarkson jibes about this Maybe Collins can liven 5th gear up, although I doubt it.

KylieWyley

As a motor review show, I actually prefer Fifth Gear.

All the presenters are much better drivers and actually know what they're talking about. That said, the production quality is ****e and they're trying to emulate Top Gear with silly challenges.

Rick Deckard

EnterNow wrote: »

Oh I can imagine the Clarkson jibes about this Maybe Collins can liven 5th gear up, although I doubt it.

KylieWyley wrote: »

As a motor review show, I actually prefer Fifth Gear.

All the presenters are much better drivers and actually know what they're talking about. That said, the production quality is ****e and they're trying to emulate Top Gear with silly challenges.

don't have Channel 5, was he any good?

The Black Oil

If he annoys Clarkson and Andy Wilman that's fine by me. No doubt we'll have a humour free and sarcastic dig from Clarkson when the new Stig is revealed.

branners69

peatcass wrote: »

don't have Channel 5, was he any good?

Not really, as the shows go, for me, 5th Gear is a lot more informative whilst Top Gear is a lot more entertaining!

Ben's voice overs were pretty dire whilst drag racing, but I suppose give him time. As he said at the start "Yes, I can speak...", but so far that isnt a good thing!