Could Boris Johnson be the new Top Gear Presenter?

BetVictor are taking bets on the identity of the next top gear presenter. We consider some of the unlikelier options…

Favourites to be new top gear presenter at BetVictor

• James Martin @ 4/1
• Jenson Button @ 7/1
• Jeremy Clarkson @ 7/1

The classic Top Gear team – Clarkson, Hammond, May – combined to make the show one of the most watched in the world. While supposedly about cars, the real star was their collegial banter and the crazy adventures they got up to. Now they’ve all gone, and unlike BBC’s other ratings hit Doctor Who, they can’t just regenerate another winning combination.

In the most recent season, Chris Evans was cast as star with Matt LeBlanc as co-host, but the pair failed to replicate their predecessors’ chemistry, and viewership dipped dramatically. With the additional factor of newspaper reports of sexual assault charges against Evans, he stepped down after the final episode of the seaon.

Online sportsbooks in the UK are now taking bets on who will be the new Top Gear presenter. The favourites are former Saturday Kitchen presenter and chef James Martin, Formula 1 driver Jenson Button, and former host Jeremy Clarkson. However, after they went for a conventional choice last time, the producers may opt for a slightly wackier choice. Here are some of the less likely presenters they could consider:

Boris Johnson: 100/1 @ BetVictor

Last week, according to online sportsbooks, the former Mayor of London was the leading candidate to be the next Prime Minister. After being stabbed in the back by his ally Michael Gove, he decided that he didn’t have enough support to take a shot at reaching that office. Instead, could he be the face of Top Gear? He can certainly ramble, and would be well placed to court controversy in the way Jeremy Clarkson was famed for. However, he is famous for celebrating cycling and if often seen on a bike in London: this isn’t the right vibe for Top Gear.

Nigel Farage: 100/1 @ BetVictor

Unlike Boris, Farage already achieved his lifetime ambition: getting Britian to leave the EU. Now he’s resigned from his role as UKIP leader, he has a lot of time on his hands. Could he become the new top gear presenter? He is famous for to connecting to ordinary people in a way that most politicians often don’t. He could also easily replicate Clarkson’s offensive remarks about foreigners.

However, there are some stumbling blocks to this otherwise perfect appointment. Firstly, last time he resigned from UKIP he was back in charge not long after; he’s unlikely to stay out of politics for good. Also, he’s rarely seen in public without a pint in hand… would he be able to spend enough time sober to film the required driving scenes?

Roy Hodgson: 100/1 @ BetVictor

Finally, we reach the candidate obviously most suited to replacing Chris Evans. You can make gambling news if you take a punt on this 500/1 outsider bet which is surely overpriced. The former England manager is in need of a new job and has said he isn’t ready to retire yet. After his side’s embarrassing exit from the Euros he’ll be desperate to improve his reputation and what better way could there be than making Top Gear a success. He’s built his career on going back to basics, which is what Top Gear needs. He travelled widely yet, after this summer he probably, like Clarkson, hates Europeans. The biggest argument in his favour is that he somehow managed to get the England job in the first place, despite not being suitable at all. So, why not bet on him becoming the new top gear presenter, another job he’s unsuitable for!