The BBC has responded to reports suggesting Top Gear is about to be axed.
Filming for the 34th series was halted last year after presenter and former cricketer Andrew Flintoff was injured during production.
The Sun reported on Friday that the broadcaster had made the “heartbreaking” decision to axe the classic show.
A spokesperson has since spoken out suggesting that a final decision is yet to be reached on Top Gear’s future as rumours continue to mount.
Anne Diamond has spoken out on Top Gear's possible axing
GB NEWS
“A decision on the timing of Top Gear shows will be made in due course with BBC Content”, a spokesperson said.
According to GB News presenter Anne Diamond, the show’s axing would represent a blow for the national broadcaster due to the financial windfall it offers.
“This isn’t the first thing these awful things have happened”, she said.
“Sometimes they take too many risks, and I think the only thing to do is take it off the air.
“It’s a shame. It’s a money-spinner for the BBC too.”
Adding to the discussion was showbiz journalist Stephanie Takyi, who outlined a key “problem” for the broadcaster.
“You do not want a show on air that is producing casualties and potentially putting a presenter’s life at risk”, she said.
“Luckily for Freddie Flintoff he survived and so did Richard Hammond, but someone might not.
“The problem is, you cannot bring this series back and it’s still doing stunts like this. But the viewer at home isn’t going to watch a lightweight version of Top Gear.”
Question marks have been raised over the show’s future since Flintoff’s injury, which is said to have even left the production crew traumatised.
The former England cricket captain spoke publicly for the first time on Wednesday since the accident in a social media clip.
In the video, where he awarded an England cap to spin bowler Tom Hartley, Flintoff said: “It gives me so much pleasure to share what is going to be a day Tom that you’re going to remember for the rest of your life.”
Flintoff also touched on the incident and added: “They’ll (England Cricket team) share the good times with you, the successes. But as I found over the past few months, they’ll be there in the hardest times of your life, they will stand next to you.”
Filming for series 34 of Top Gear was halted after the accident, and the BBC said in March that it would be inappropriate to resume making the series at that time following an internal investigation into what happened.
Flintoff’s son Corey said at the time he was “lucky to be alive” and described it as a “pretty nasty crash”.
Former sports star Flintoff began presenting Top Gear in 2019.