📰 Auto News The Stig's ID is 'Top Gear' secret no more

Chrisco

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2010/sep/01/the-stig-identity-high-court

Jennifer Quinn: associated press said:
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LONDON – The opaque visor of one of Britain's most famous helmets has been lifted.

The identity of The Stig, the always-anonymous test driver on the popular television show "Top Gear," has long been a closely guarded secret. On Wednesday, lawyers said the BBC had been refused an injunction blocking publication of a book revealing the identity of the character.

Shortly after, publishers HarperCollins said in a statement that a 33-year-old racing driver named Ben Collins "has a great story to tell about his seven years as The Stig, which will appeal to a wide audience beyond just motoring enthusiasts."

Calling it a "victory for freedom of speech," HarperCollins said the book will be published in Britain on Sept. 16.

The white-suited Stig is the second in the role; the first Stig, who wore a black suit and helmet, was Perry McCarthy. He left the show in 2003 after his identity was revealed.

The show has a long-standing policy of not commenting on The Stig's identity. A "Top Gear" spokeswoman said no decision has been made on whether the character will be back when the show returns.

"Top Gear" is one of the BBC's most successful programs, and is seen in more than 100 countries around the world. Alongside the show's three garrulous hosts, The Stig is an always-silent presence, fearlessly navigating the show's test track in glamorous cars.

Speculation over his identity is a favorite pastime for fans of the show, and the "Top Gear" website sells T-shirts proclaiming "I am The Stig," "I am not The Stig," and "I am The Stig's fat cousin," among others.

"The whole point of The Stig is the mystique — the bizarre characteristics he has, the wonderment created about what he might think, feel, do or look like," producer Andy Wilman said in a post on the show's website. "Kids adore the conceit, and I believe adults, although they know it's a man in a suit (or is it?) gladly buy into the whole conceit because they find it entertaining."

The Stig's Facebook page — which more than 2.5 million people "like" — says he was recently attacked by a goose, that his ears "are not where you would expect them to be," and that he thinks the movie "Star Wars" is a documentary.

The BBC said it sought the injunction — the hearing was held in private — because viewers like the mystery surrounding the driver's identity and it's "vital to protect the character of The Stig."

The broadcaster said that the judgment does not prevent them from taking the issue further in the courts.

'The BBC will not be deterred from protecting such information from attack no matter when or by whom it should arise," the broadcaster said in a statement.

Collins' website says he has raced on the Formula Three and NASCAR circuits, and drove James Bond's Aston Martin in the 2008 film "Quantum of Solace."

What a shame :tear:
 

Chrisco

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2010/sep/01/the-stig-identity-high-court

The Stig: high court judge unmasks mystery Top Gear driver

• BBC fails to halt sale of autobiography by Ben Collins
• Spat is part of wider feud with Murdoch press

* James Robinson
* guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 1 September 2010 20.32 BST
* Article history

Ben Collins Ben Collins was unmasked as the Stig in August, but has since refused to confirm whether or not he plays the character. Photograph: Tim Ireland/PA

His identity remained a mystery for eight years despite his star billing on one of the BBC's biggest shows. But today the Stig, the anonymous Top Gear driver disguised beneath a white crash helmet and blacked-out visor, was finally unmasked by a high court judge.

Mr Justice Morgan threw out a request from BBC's lawyers to grant an injunction preventing publication of an autobiography by Ben Collins, the racing driver who has played the character since 2003, following nearly two days of legal arguments heard behind closed doors.

Shortly before the ruling Collins, 35, strode down the steps of the Royal Courts of Justice in London but refused to confirm to waiting reporters that he is the man who trains celebrity guests to race around the Top Gear track.

The court proceedings, and the media interest that surrounded it, has bordered on farcical at times, not least because the Stig's identity had already been revealed. Collins, from Bristol, was named as the Stig by the Sunday Times in August, and photos of the driver have subsequently appeared in the press.

The BBC has repeatedly refused to confirm that Collins plays the character, however, as it seeks to protect the commercial value of one of its hit shows.

Simon Dowson-Collins, director of legal services at HarperCollins, which would publish the book, also refused to discuss the Stig's alter ego, but criticised the BBC . "We were very surprised the BBC took such action to prevent freedom of expression. We maintained all along that the information is already in the public domain," he said.

The request for an injunction was prompted by the corporation's determination to keep the identity of one of its employees secret after HarperCollins bought the rights to his life story.

Mr Justice Morgan ordered on Monday that the hearing should be conducted in private to ensure the case did not bring news of his identity to a wider audience.

The furore surrounding his forced unveiling is testament to the popularity of Top Gear, which regularly attracts an audience of 5 million armchair drivers in a Sunday BBC2 evening slot. Presenters Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond command high salaries, and the producers and co-creators have also profited from the show.

It has also become a huge money-spinner for BBC Worldwide, the corporation's commercial arm, which made pre-tax profits of £145m last year. It is regarded as one of a handful of "superbrands" with global appeal, along with other hit shows including Strictly Come Dancing.

Late last week Top Gear producer Andy Wilman angrily dismissed HarperCollins as "a bunch of chancers" and insisted that the Stig was effectively the property of the men who invented him.

However, the BBC's legal battle has not been motivated purely by a desire to protect the creative integrity of the character's creators. It also wants to prevent HarperCollins from cashing in on the Stig in a bid to protect the money-making potential of the show.

The fact that HarperCollins is owned by News Corporation, the media giant controlled by Rupert Murdoch, has given the legal battle a compelling subplot. The BBC director general, Mark Thompson, last week used the annual MacTaggart lecture to question whether News Corp should be allowed to take full control of BSkyB, the pay-TV company in which it is the largest shareholder.

Thompson warned that News Corp will become the dominant force in the British media industry if the deal is waved through by the government, which has the power to block it. He warned that Sky already "dwarfs" its commercial rivals.

Some senior executives at the BBC privately claim News Corp is using the Stig case to undermine the BBC as the two organisations fight a war by proxy. The BBC is waiting to see the court's full judgment before deciding whether to take Collins to court for breach of contract but has signalled it is likely to do so. The book is due to be published on September 16.

Nicola Cain, a member of the legal team working for the BBC, said: "This is about contractual obligations and confidential information." She added that she couldn't second guess what action the corporation would take, but said: "It isn't over yet."
 

Chrisco

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...Collins-faces-axe-Top-Gear-autobiography.html

The Stig, outed as racing driver Ben Collins, faces axe from Top Gear over autobiography

By Paul Revoir
Last updated at 7:59 AM on 24th August 2010

The Stig is facing the sack from Top Gear in the increasingly bitter row over his plans to publish his autobiography.

BBC insiders say it will be ‘incredibly difficult’ for him to carry on in his current role.
The masked stunt driver planned to reveal his identity in the book, to be published next month.

But he was named at the weekend as 35-year-old racing driver Ben Collins following examination of his company’s accounts.

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To read or not to read: The Stig's autobiography should be full of celebrity gossip if we ever get to read it. The BBC is currently trying to sue the publisher, HarperCollins, in attempt to stop its release

To read or not to read: The Stig's autobiography should be full of celebrity gossip if we ever get to read it. The BBC is currently trying to sue the publisher, HarperCollins, in attempt to stop its release

Despite this the BBC claims that by publishing the book he will be breaking a confidentiality agreement and is suing its publisher, HarperCollins.

Yesterday, as the case reached the High Court, HarperCollins attacked the corporation for using its public funding to ‘suppress’ the book.

It said it would ‘vigorously defend’ the driver’s ‘perfectly legitimate right’ to tell his story, due to be published on September 16.
The Stig in disguise
Revealed: The Stig is believed to be racing driver Ben Collins

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The secret's out: The Stig's own company records revealed his identity as racing driver Ben Collins

The BBC said the majority of viewers wanted The Stig’s identity to remain a secret and also said it wanted to stop an ‘external party’ profiting from the ‘unauthorised use of the Top Gear brand’.


More...

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After the case was adjourned until next week, a source said: ‘They will definitely get rid of him. I think he was stupid to take on the might of the BBC.’

The driver’s identity was uncovered after a report from Collins’s firm described 2003 – when the present Stig made his debut – as ‘a cornerstone year’.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...axe-Top-Gear-autobiography.html#ixzz0yMK6vrEg
 
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