The Stig was a staple of the BBC’s Top Gear but the identity of those behind the mask has been shrouded in mystery at times, though Jeremy Clarkson has now spoken out
TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson has finally put to rest the mystery of Top Gear’s last Stig’s identity.
Speaking at a special Q&A event at Diddly Squat Farm, the host of Clarkson’s Farm and former face of the iconic BBC Top Gear series said that racer Phil Keen was the last person to sport the famous white gear. It’s been public knowledge that Perry McCarthy was behind the original ‘Stig’ helmet, before being ‘killed off’ in a 2002 stunt, while Ben Collins came clean about then being the mystery driver with his 2010 memoir The Man in the White Suit.
Even after Ben’s exit though, the white-suited figure continued making appearances alongside Jeremy and co-stars Richard Hammond and James May until their departure from the show in 2015, and the silhouette lingered throughout the series’ revamp up until it ended in 2022. Until now, fans were left with just rumours and theories on social media about his identity.
During an event celebrating the Grand Tour the final episode, One for the Road, released on Prime Video, Jeremy unveiled British GT racer Phil Keen as the man beneath the helmet. As the half-hour discussion wound down, a member of the audience shouted: “Who was the original Stig?” Cutting straight to the chase, as reported by the Express, Jeremy shared: “The original Stig was Perry McCarthy, followed by Ben Collins. Followed by Phil Keen.” He then clarified: “There isn’t a current Top Gear, so there isn’t a current Stig. But the last one was Phil Keen.”
Phil, a 40-year-old motorsport star, has had an illustrious career in British GT racing over the past two decades. The outlet reports that he’s been a runner-up three times in the British GT championship and holds the record for the most wins in the series, with 24 victories to his name. He reportedly also enjoys historic racing and has driven a variety of classic cars at the Goodwood Revival, including a Lotus 30, Lister Knobbly and Jaguar E-Type.
Jeremy’s confirmation that he was the last Stig comes more than eight years after Matt Le Blanc is thought to have hinted at his identity following the show’s reboot. There was speculation after Matt started following Phil on social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, shortly after filming commenced. The rumours were fuelled when former presenter Rory Reid also started following Phil on social media.
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