Filming delays and dancing dogs have reportedly got the BBC spooked over when to air the brand new Top Gear for the first time.
As reported in The Mirror, the channel’s flagship motoring show has had to abort its plans to launch on May 8, after shooting ran behind schedule.
The fortnight delay would mean the show will premiere on May 22, which happens to coincide with the first Britain’s Got Talent live show, and there are circulating rumours that producers might be considering pushing it back even further for fear of the ITV show hoovering up their potential viewers.
A source told The Mirror: “The BBC has pulled a sharp handbrake (ahem) turn.
“Top Gear is already under intense scrutiny and the last thing they need is to try and launch it against ITV’s most popular show.”
It’s been a rocky road for Top Gear so far, with talk that hosts Matt Le Blanc and Chris Evans had fallen out over the now-infamous Cenotaph ‘Donut’ stunt, which the show was forced to apologise for.
If there are problems under the hood, however, then they’re doing their best not to let on. Regarding the delay rumours, a Top Gear source told Digital Spy that it was no more than ‘pure speculation’. A BBC spokesman also said: “We have always said we will launch in May and full scheduling details will be announced in due course.”
Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
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