[64], In the tax year to April 2017, he was the BBC's highest paid presenter, earning between £2.2m and £2.25m. Initial viewing figures of 4.4 million for episode one, dropped to just 1.9 million by the time of the series finale. Their tenure started on 13 October 1997. [citation needed], Evans' departure from radio was in part so he could devote his time to the new Channel 4 breakfast television show, The Big Breakfast, from 28 September 1992. Clarkson was unashamedly the main presenter - while his co-hosts assumed subordinate positions. [32] Giving his ruling at the High Court, Evans was publicly criticised for his attitude by the judge, who said of Evans: "He has the temperament of a prima donna. The first episode of the new series of six episodes was broadcast 29 May 2016. He started his broadcasting career working for Piccadilly Radio, Manchester, as a teenager, before moving to London as a presenter for the BBC's Greater London Radio and then Channel 4 television, where The Big Breakfast made him a star. [76], A fan of fast cars, and particularly Ferraris,[77][78] Evans was banned from driving for 56 days in 2001 and fined £600 after admitting to a speeding charge at Staines Magistrates' Court after being stopped by Surrey Police when driving at 105 mph (169 km/h) on the A3 road in Esher in January 2001. He said: "I thought I was chronicling the Albert Hall moving sideways on the back of a giant rock and roll crab, something I didn't think the world should miss." [81], In August 2002, Evans was a member of crew aboard the sailing yacht Nausicaa with six other people, when James Ward – landlord of the White Horse in Hascombe, Surrey, which was then Evans' local pub – drowned in an accident in the Solent. [citation needed], In August 2002 Chris Evans set up a radio and television production company, UMTV, with the aim of specialising in live, cutting-edge, entertainment programming. Here then, are just some of the reasons why fans of Top Gear never quite warmed to Chris Evans, and why the show, under his direction, was doomed from the onset. [72][73] Their elder son Noah has appeared a number of times on his father's Breakfast Radio show. Evans said: "Ping and Pong arrived safe and well last night. In the many incarnations of Top Gear, part of its mystique and charm was its accessibility. [citation needed], Evans left The Big Breakfast on 29 September 1994 and formed his own television production company, Ginger Productions. Critics hated innuendo-laden features like Honk Your Horn and In Bed with Your Girlfriend, but Evans put on 600,000 new listeners over Steve Wright – one for every £5 spent on salary and advertising. In February 2016, it was confirmed that Matt LeBlanc, Rory Reid, Sabine Schmitz, [citation needed] He declined the offer[citation needed] and eventually sold them for £250,000. [69] In September 2004, news stories circulated regarding a trial separation – Evans at the time had a stall at Camden Market, where he was found selling furniture and paintings from his London and Los Angeles homes, commenting: "I just want to get rid of it all, it's just a headache. In time, he may have been able to use this energy to transform the show, but after Clarkson, he was inheriting a much-loved series that was custom-built for an altogether different personality. [7][8] Evans left secondary school aged 16 after moving into the sixth form,[13] and then had a number of dead-end jobs in and around Warrington, including at a private detective agency and, notoriously, as a "Tarzan-ogram".[14]. "[21] On 9 December, with the assistance of investors, Evans' vehicle Ginger Media Group bought Virgin Radio from Branson for £85m, to control the interests both of Ginger Productions and Virgin Radio. Concepts such as a 'Star in a Rallycross Car', was neither new nor a continuation of the previous regime. The segment itself was long in length and felt like a slightly lazy attempt to modernize a stale idea. By 2000 he was the UK's highest paid entertainer, according to the Sunday Times Rich List. This was perhaps unsurprising, given that Wilman was an old school friend of Clarkson, but it was still a devastating blow, as Top Gear lost a man who was widely credited with helping popularise the show globally. When Jeremy Clarkson was fired by the BBC in 2015, the future of his and the operations flagship show, Top Gear, was in serious jeopardy. [74][75], In March 2008, Evans said in his Radio 2 blog that he had taken "magic mushrooms" two days before attending a Meat Loaf concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Hot hatchbacks and challenges involving affordable cars were regular segments during the Clarkson years; but for many, Evans' infatuation with fast, stylish vehicles, took the show away from its roots. [8], After working as a producer on Richard Branson's service The Superstation, where he produced material for Jonathan Ross,[8] Evans went on to work at the newly launched BBC Greater London Radio, first as a producer on Emma Freud's mid-morning show, then on Weekend Breakfast with Danny Baker.[14]. "I didn't expect this," he said. [61] In June 2016 it was reported that fellow presenter LeBlanc had threatened to quit the show unless Evans was sacked, because of inappropriate behaviour on set. [30], Evans attempted to sue Virgin Radio, claiming that he was unfairly dismissed and denied share options worth £8.6 million. Matt Baker presented and still presents (as of 2018) the show on a regular Monday to Thursday basis. [10] In 1998, after a long-running dispute, the couple reached an out-of-court arrangement whereby Evans provided a home for his daughter and an allowance to Ward. With Clarkson, his persona appeared to be an extension of his personality - Evans couldn't quite say the same. After the death of his father on 25 April 1979, the 13-year-old Evans took part-time work at an outlet of T. J. Scathing, cynical, polarising - whether you loved him or hated him, you just had to watch. A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said the force would investigate any reports of class A drug-taking. His first three songs were The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love" and "Got to Get You into My Life"; and Frank Sinatra's "Come Fly with Me". Sources: The Guardian, Radio Times, BBC, Carbuzz.com, Telegraph.co.uk. [22] The sale made Evans the highest-paid entertainer in the UK in 2000, estimated by the Sunday Times Rich List to have been paid around £35.5million. [18], Evans began making editions of Channel 4's TFI Friday from 1996. [22] The group later engaged in the prospect of buying the Daily Star newspaper, but decided against from commercial angles. By consensus, Evans made the unfortunate error of airing his worst episode first. [12], He passed the Eleven-Plus exam and started at Boteler Grammar School, Warrington. [8][15] Until 1984 Evans had three jobs: as an assistant to Timmy Mallett, and playing a character on his show called 'Nobby Nolevel' ('No 'O' Level'); acting as a disc jockey in the evenings at local pubs when he was not at Piccadilly Radio; and still working at the newsagents, opening up daily at 5 am to sort out the newspaper deliveries. [34], In his autobiography, Evans writes that shortly after the sale of Virgin Radio he was offered £56m for his SMG shares by Goldman Sachs. [citation needed] Station management declined but did offer him a weekend slot, which he turned down. The show was well received by listeners and critics, and Evans was announced as the successor to Radio 2's Drivetime show on 2 March 2006, succeeding long-time host Johnnie Walker, beginning on 18 April. As a present to him, she proposed on his 35th birthday, and the couple married in a £200 ceremony at The Little Church of the West in Las Vegas, Nevada on 6 May 2001, in a ceremony attended by six guests including best man Danny Baker. [80] On 18 May 2008, Evans attended RM Auctions/Sotheby's Ferrari auction in Maranello, Italy, and bought a 1961 250 GT Spyder California SWB formerly owned by US actor James Coburn for the then world record price of 6.4 million euros. On 3 May 2018 Evans' mother Minnie died, at the age of 92. By the end of 2007, the show was averaging over five million listeners. Evans then joined Radio 2 on a permanent basis in September 2005, presenting a weekly Saturday afternoon show from 14:00 to 17:00. He previously presented The One Show on Fridays between 2010 and 2015. Following this he presented a weekday graveyard slot with competitions and segments where listeners had opportunities to sell their belongings on air. His co-presenters included ex-BBC TV newsreader Moira Stuart, sports presenter Jonny Saunders (who was replaced in June 2011 by Vassos Alexander), and travel reporter Lynn Bowles. One of only 36 Ferrari 250 GTOs ever made (Getty) Top Gear fans should know that not only is Chris Evans just as combustible, unpredictable and egotistical as … Almost three years after they had separated, Evans and Piper divorced in May 2007, but have remained on good terms. [70], A keen golfer who plays with a handicap of 15, Evans met professional golfer, part-time model and columnist for Golf Punk magazine Natasha Shishmanian when they became golf partners in the All*Star Cup celebrity tournament in Newport – Evans gave his 17-year-old caddy at the 2005 event, Natalie Harrison, a £10,000 Russian Kristall Smolensk diamond he won for the quality of his play. [20] Evans was then hired by Virgin Radio to host its breakfast show, prompting an immediate upsurge in station listening figures of 1.8 million to 2.6 million. During his time at BBC Radio 1 and Virgin, Evans had well publicised relationships with Kim Wilde, model Rachel Tatton-Brown (whose sister was a researcher on The Big Breakfast), assistant producer Suzi Aplin, Anthea Turner,[8] Geri Halliwell,[68] and Melanie Sykes. On 16 June 2015, the BBC announced that Evans had signed a three-year deal to be the main presenter on the BBC Two motoring show Top Gear,[56][57] following the departure of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May. [87], On 20 September 2018, Evans' wife gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, Walt and Boo, after being induced the previous day. In May 2010 he bought a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO, one of only thirty-six built, for £12 million. Its first major programme, Don't Forget Your Toothbrush, was broadcast between 1994 and 1995. In 2010, it was announced that Evans would be replacing Adrian Chiles as the Friday co-presenter of The One Show on BBC One. [65], Evans has a daughter, Jade (born 1986), by former fiancée Alison Ward. Both Apax Partners and Branson each owned 20% of Ginger Media Group, while Evans and his investors owned the remaining 60%. Evans could never quite assume a position of authority in the same way Clarkson once did. Evans wasn't exactly helped by Clarkson's relatively quick return to work - on Amazon Prime's The Grand Tour. [16], Allowed to create the "zoo" format he had previously been disallowed from performing on Radio 1, Evans was given a free rein by his friend, the station's controller Matthew Bannister. In 2015, Evans announced he was quitting The One Show to focus on Top Gear. This relationship eventually soured, leaving LeBlanc to front the show for the following season. CHRIS EVANS RETURNS TO VIRGIN RADIO", "Chris Evans: The star who fell to earth", "Chris Evans: Radio 2 host saved his mum Minnie's life after breast cancer diagnosis", "Chris Evans resolves maintenance dispute", "Rise and fall of Radio 1's gaffe-prone presenter", "£75,000 fine for Evans line on Livingstone", "Christopher Evans v SMG Television et al", "It's all going to be OK – for another three months at least", "BBC pay reveal 'a factor' in Evans' exit", "BBC Radio 2's Chris Evans Named Music Radio Personality", "Chris Evans is quitting The One Show to concentrate on Top Gear", "Telegraph – Chris Evans confirmed as new Top Gear presenter – Media Centre", "BBC – Chris Evans to lead new Top Gear line up – Media Centre", "Chris Evans 'wished well' by Top Gear trio", "Matt LeBlanc to be Top Gear co-presenter", "Eddie Jordan and Sabine Schmitz join Top Gear line-up", "New 'Top Gear' Delayed, Season Cut Short: Report", "Matt LeBlanc 'will quit Top Gear unless Chris Evans is sacked, "Chris Evans quits BBC Top Gear after just one series", "Chris Evans slams Top Gear's critics as catch-up viewing lifts ratings", "BBC accused of discrimination as salaries reveal gender pay gap - as it happened", "Chris Evans and the daughter who gave him a second chance", "Chris Evans becomes a first-time grandfather", "BBC Radio 2 – The Chris Evans Breakfast Show, Hay Festival 500 Words with Alex Jones and David Walliams, Chris Evans Announces the Birth of Baby Eli live on Radio 2", "Chris Evans on messing up, maturing – and saving his mum's life", "Noah Evans: broadcaster of the future - Chris Evans Magnificent 7, Famous 5 and Dine & Disco Weekend for CiN - BBC Children in Need", "Chris Evans pays £5m for vintage Ferrari", "British DJ Chris Evans Crashes Ferrari, Laughs It Off", "Chris Evans buys Ferrari 250 GT California for £5m", "Chris Evans and wife Natasha fuel romance with chopper lessons", "Thom Evans leads the way as Scotland rugby unearth another band of brothers", "Chris Evans gives £100,000 to Livingstone's campaign fund", "Enterprise and adventure with the Entrepreneur Challenge", "Chris Evans, BBC Radio 2 presenter, pays tribute to mother", "Chris Evans to leave Radio 2 for Virgin", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chris_Evans_(presenter)&oldid=984215038, People educated at Boteler Grammar School, Articles with dead external links from April 2020, Pages using infobox person with unknown parameters, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2011, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2013, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2014, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2016, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2019, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2011, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Virgin Radio, Weekday Breakfast Show, 6–10 am (October 1997 – June 2001), BBC Radio 2, Weekday Drivetime Show, 5–7 pm (18 April 2006 – 24 December 2009), BBC Radio 2, Weekday Breakfast Show, 7:00–9:30 am (11 January 2010 - 24 September 2010); 6:30–9:30 am (11 October 2010 – 24 December 2018), This page was last edited on 18 October 2020, at 21:43.

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