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Ben Collins suggests ‘Who Wants to Be the Stig?’ reality tv show

Filed under: Etc., UK, Celebrities

Potential Stigs vie for new gig via reality show?

Another day, another Stig story. But this one’s a bit different. The now ex-white-suited BBC driver Ben Collins has suggested that Top Gear run an X-Factor style contest to find the next Stig. From his interview with the Telegraph:

“If I were working on the show I’d suggest they do a shoot out – a sort of Who Wants to Be the Stig? X Factor. People could turn up in balaclavas and they could all have a go.”

Collins goes on to say that the producers would be acting “childish” if they choose to go forward without a new faceless driver, which we couldn’t agree with more. But…

While Collins’ idea could certainly make for entertaining telly, two issues come to mind: 1) People go on reality shows to become known, with the hopes gaining fame and fortune. Yet Collins resigned from his spot exactly because he hadn’t received what he felt was his fair share. That’s not likely to change with the next Stig. And 2) The reason the idea of the Stig is so successful is exactly because we don’t know who he is. The masked man’s skills have never been called into question because he is the ultimate impartial and unbiased driver. If we know his (or her) identity, his resume and what backhanded schemes he pulled off to land the top spot in a reality show, are we going to trust him? Probably not.

[Source: Telegraph]

Ben Collins suggests ‘Who Wants to Be the Stig?’ reality tv show originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ben “The Stig” Collins accuses BBC of bullying

Filed under: Etc., UK, Celebrities

Ben Collins, the ~~artist~~ driver formerly known as The Stig, is making sure he keeps everyone tabbed on his side of the story. Most recently, he has accused the BBC of bullying him when he informed them that he was writing a book about his years of anonymous lap times. Furthermore, he alleges that it was the BBC that actually gave away his identity in a piece for one of its own magazines, the Radio Times. After that, Collins says, he felt that his time in the white suit was tenuous and that he should “either jump or be pushed.”

Collins’ assertions appear a little shaky. The BBC article he highlights as “outing” him was a piece that took names from UK betting outlet William Hill to wonder about The Stig’s identity. At the top was Damon Hill, next was Ben Collins and at the bottom was A Giant Wasp, so Collins as a potential Stig was already a matter of speculation — at least with the bookmakers. As for the bullying claims, the BBC refutes the accusations. Collins says he was “hoping for the backing of his BBC bosses,” but is anyone really surprised that the BBC wanted to keep a secret… secret?

[Source: Telegraph]

Ben “The Stig” Collins accuses BBC of bullying originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 11 Sep 2010 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ex-Top Gear employee cashing in on Stig-gate, selling autographed helmet

Filed under: Auctions, Etc., UK, Celebrities

The Stig drama continues from the land of Top Gear. Former employee Sophia Vaizey was a production coordinator on the popular television show for 18 months. When she left, she was presented with a helmet worn by the Stig from 2002 to 2005, signed by Richard Hammond, members of the production crew and The Stig, himself.

Now that the frenzy surrounding Top Gear‘s former wheelman has reached a fever pitch, Mrs. Vaizey is looking to cash in on her parting gift. Her family points out to her, perhaps quite wisely, that the helmet will likely be worth far less in 10 years than it is right now. Thus, she is bringing the iconic white brain bucket to market – Stig’s helmet is heading to Gorringes Auctioneers on October 20th.

We wouldn’t be surprised if Jeremy Clarkson had some choice words for Sophia Vaizey. He recently laid into the Stig for following the money and Mrs. Vaizey appears to be going the same route. The helmet may have been a gift, but it’s her gift and she has every right to make some money off of it. However, if that helmet were placed on our shelf, it would stay there…

…Unless the offer was really high.

[Source: Telegraph.co.uk]

Ex-Top Gear employee cashing in on Stig-gate, selling autographed helmet originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jeremy Clarkson calls The Stig a ‘Greedy Tw*t’ [w/poll]

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, UK, Celebrities

It would seem that the vitriol between the trio of presenters on Top Gear and Ben Collins, the man behind the Stig’s helmet, isn’t just for show. During a recent charity event, Jeremy Clarkson, arguably the leader of the TG three amigos, made it clear just how he feels about Collins’ unmasking of himself by calling the former tame racing driver “The Greedy Tw*t.” That’s certainly one way to put it.

Rumors began dusting up over whether or not Ben Collins was the racer in white after it was widely publicized that Collins was seeking to publish a book on his life as the White Stig. The BBC attempted to file an injunction stopping the publisher from moving forward, but a judge found that there was no reason to stop Collins from moving forward.

The BBC reacted to Collins’ actions by putting the driver out of a job. Or at least out of a job in show business. Overall, fans have been less than thrilled with the debacle, with most saying that the driver has gone a long way toward ruining a good thing for everyone.

Even so, we’re guessing the Collins memoir will have no problem finding a global audience. After all’s said and done, will you read it?

[Source: The Herald Sun | Image: Ferdaus Shamim/WireImage.com]

View Poll

Jeremy Clarkson calls The Stig a ‘Greedy Tw*t’ [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why the Stig outed himself

Filed under: Etc., Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, UK, Celebrities, Rumormill

The Stig wants money

The Stig, as we’re all now aware, is portrayed by talented wheelman Ben Collins. Stiggie, like the three Top Gear presenters, is beloved by fans around the globe. It’s hard to attend a motorsports event without someone claiming to be a fat relative of the white-suited power lap maestro. What would persuade Mr. Collins to give up his clandestine position behind the visor? According to The Daily Mail, it all comes down to money.

Ben Collins’ company, Collins AutoSport, has reportedly racked up over $1.5 million dollars in losses over the last five years. He has a wife, three young kids and three other business ventures to support. The other members of Top Gear command handsome sums (rightfully so) and perhaps Collins felt he deserved a larger slice of the BBC cash cake. Removing the helmet allows him to cash in on what’s sure to be a substantial number of opportunities. He recently received an advance of close to $400,000 to begin work on his autobiography and there’s already talk of a Ben Collins TV Show.

Is breaking the trust of his Top Gear brethren worth the potential financial windfall? In the eyes of many fans, it might not be, yet we imagine Collins’ autobiography will be a page-turner. To Collins and his family, however, this bold move might be the fast lap to fiscal freedom. Thanks for the tip, stecki!

[Source: The Daily Mail]

Why the Stig outed himself originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Will the next Stig be a woman? UK bookies lay odds

Filed under: Etc., Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Humor

Is the Stig about to get a sex change? William Hill, one of the UK’s largest bookmaking operations, places the odds of the next Stig being a lady at 4-1 and has reportedly seen a good amount of action on that particular wager. Gamblers can also bet on what color the next Stig will wear, with pink currently holding 5-1 odds.

Ireland’s largest bookmaker, Paddy Power, is also in the mix, posting odds on both the color of the next Stig and who will be behind the mask (they stick with all-male options, though). Paddy Power is also taking bets on how White Stig will meet his demise. The long shot, at 20-1 odds, is currently an assassination by Tom Cruise (not a solid bet, really, as such behavior seems unbecoming of a high-level Thetan).

If Top Gear does go the Lady Stig route, who do you think will suit up? We’re going with Sabine Schmitz. She clearly has the ability, plus she’s already friendly with the Top Gear crew.

Actually, that’s not a bad bet at all – excuse us while we place a few international calls…

[Source: The Sun; BettingDirectory]

Will the next Stig be a woman? UK bookies lay odds originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 11:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Some say that Top Gear will viciously kill off The Stig

Filed under: Etc., UK, Celebrities

The Stig

When murmurings began hitting the web that the man who plays The Stig was itching to publish his memoirs, we knew it was only a matter of time before the character met his end on the BBC’s Top Gear. According to The Sun, James May has hinted that White Stig will be dealt with in the same manner as his predecessor, Black Stig. As you may recall, Black Stig infamously tried to outperform a Harrier jet from behind the wheel of the Top Gear Jaguar, only to overshoot his mark and wind up at the bottom of the sea.

According to May, White Stig may not be so fortunate. In his interview with The Sun, May said that he and his co-hosts may actually drive to The Stig’s house, beat him silly and reclaim his suit of racing armor. We’re thinking that the show’s writers will likely come up with something a little more grandiose when it comes to sending the disgraced character out to pasture, but you never know. Will the show pit White Stig against the Royal Navy like his predecessor… or will he face some crueler fate? We’ll find out soon enough. Thanks for the tip, Gooner!

[Source: The Sun]

Some say that Top Gear will viciously kill off The Stig originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BBC loses court battle to block the Stig book

Filed under: UK, Celebrities

The Stig has taken another step toward shrugging off the shackles of the BBC. As you may recall, Top Gear’s tame racing driver recently locked horns with the Beeb after he made it clear he wanted to publish his memoirs. The show’s producers found issue with text, saying that revealing his identity would not only be a disservice to the fans of the show, but that it would also violate the terms of his contract. Thing is, a judge has struck down the BBC’s injunction to keep The Stig from publishing his book. That means publisher HarperCollins can move forward on bringing the book to life without fear of any further legal action from the BBC.

Interestingly enough, Ben Collins, the man who has long-been rumored to be the Stig, was spotted leaving the courthouse shortly after the ruling was issued. Collins was evasive when asked by reporters if he was the man in white, though we have a hard time thinking of any other reason why he would be at the hearing.

[Source: The Guardian]

BBC loses court battle to block the Stig book originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Some say he’s Ben sacked! BBC reportedly fires The Stig

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Celebrities, Rumormill

Frank and The Stig

We saw this one coming; the BBC has apparently sacked The Stig. Britain’s Daily Mirror tabloid reports that the Stig, a.k.a. Ben Collins, has been let go and that a new Stig has already replaced him on Top Gear. In fact, the Mirror says it already have pics of the new Stig at a Nürburgring track event, wearing the signature white coveralls and smoked visor helmet. How does the paper know it’s not Collins in the photos? Simple: it had another photographer at Ben’s house – 1,100 miles away – watching Collins play with his children at the same time.

The firing of the Stig comes a week after a battle erupted over Collins’ autobiography, slated for release in September. Details about the Stig’s true identity have been trickling out for some time, including the recent discovery that Collins Auto-Sport, a company owned and operated by Ben Collins, claimed income from “driving services for the BBC, mainly in the Top Gear programme.”

Of course, this could still just be speculation, and TG may have hired another driver just for that one track event. If Collins has indeed been canned and the show follows form, a segment will be filmed showing the demise of the white Stig and the appearance of his replacement. At least that’s what they did when the original black-clad Stig, Perry McCarthy, left the show. Wonder what colors the new Stig will fly…

[Source: The Daily Mirror]

Some say he’s Ben sacked! BBC reportedly fires The Stig originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 29 Aug 2010 09:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Top Gear producer on Stig book: “He’s ours”

Filed under: Government/Legal, UK, Celebrities

Who is the Stig? That question is consistently one of Google’s top queries, proving the world wants to know the identity of Top Gear’s masked racing driver. But… ask yourself again, Do you really want to know who the Stig is?

As pointed out by Top Gear producer Andy Wilman, part of the reason we all care so much about the Stig is because of the mystery surrounding his identity. What’s more, his character is owned and was created and nurtured by the BBC – just the same as a camera or the film used to record a scene belongs to the British broadcaster, so does intellectual property like this suspiciously fast driving character.

We can’t argue with that, especially after reading Wilman’s take on the subject. Perhaps once the man behind the mask is no longer under the employ of the BBC and bound by his signed contract, we’ll be free to know his true identity and read his memoirs. Until then, though, Top Gear seems ready to do all it can to keep the Stig’s alter ego a closely guarded secret. Including fighting a battle with HarperCollins in court to keep an autobiography from being published.

‘Course, if you don’t care about any of that, click here for a possible spoiler…

[Source: Top Gear]

Top Gear producer on Stig book: “He’s ours” originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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