The Stig unmasked... by his own company accounts

[PanterroR]

Speculation about his identity has ranged from former Formula one champion Michael Schumacher to Mr Bean creator Rowan Atkinson.

But the seven-year mystery surrounding top Gear's masked test driver the Stig appears finally to be over.

Financial documents have been unearthed which link 35-year-old racing driver and stuntman Ben Collins to the secret role.

The Stig's unmasking comes after the Daily Mail last week revealed how he was locked in a legal battle with the BBC over plans to reveal his identity in his autobiography.

Lawyers warned that secrecy was essential to his role in the BBC2 programme.

The clue to his identity emerges in the accounts of his company, Collins Autosport.

It recorded a 'cornerstone year' in December 2003, a month after the white-clad Stig's first appearance on TV.

This was partly down to 'driving services provided for the BBC, mainly in the Top Gear programme', the accounts said.

Directors noted the work offered 'good long-term prospects for continuing income,' the Sunday Times reported.

Collins, who has doubled for Daniel Craig for stunts in a James Bond film, was named as a possible Stig after a builder claimed to have seen the distinctive white outfit at the driver's Bristol home.

But he has always refused to answer questions on the subject. Asked about it at the weekend, he said he was on his way to Hungary before adding: 'I can't speak to you. I'm going into a tunnel.'


Source: Top Gear star The Stig unmasked by his own company accounts | Mail Online

 

[LaArtist]

Cool..but who really cares
Stig is Stig..

 

[klier]

Yeah right....

Stig has been 'unmasked' how many times now? I've lost count.

Seriously....everybody who thinks it has been one person all the time:

 

[Betty Swollocks]

It has been widely known for many years that the "main" stig is Ben Collins after he replaced Perry McCarthy. And I say "main" because it's not always the same driver. The idea of disguising him came about because of the need to solve the problem of the test driver being unavailable.

This is obviously just a slow news day.

 

[PanterroR]

Yeah, don't shoot the messenger though...

 

[Human]

^
True

I also saw this article in the AUTOFORUM magazine (Welcome to AutoForum)
Hindsight is...nor me or anybody else posted it on GCF

Except you, today Tycoon

 

[Betty Swollocks]

Yeah, don't shoot the messenger though...

Roll your eyes all you like, but if you are refering to me, then I am not shooting the messenger, merely pointing out that this is just lazy journalism from the newspaper as it's a slow news day. Just doing a simple search finds pretty much the same story from January 2009.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/driving/article5548705.ece

 

[DaSilva]

booooooring....
The most exciting "news" "about".... "The Stig" is that "The Stig" got beaten around the track by a brasilian....

Barrichello currently holds the fastest time by a Formula One driver around the Top Gear test track during
the show's Star in a reasonably-priced car segment. His lap time of 1:44.3 put him ahead of The Stig by 0.1 seconds

So just like BS says: This is obviously just a slow news day.

btw, the biggest news paper in Norway had this article too
but it was like this, The Stig is unmasked.... AGAIN...
He will probably be unmasked sometime later but
then he's someone else... again ... buuuuuu boooooooooring!

 

[Mr Robert]

You call that a Stig.

This is a real Stig:

Sig Blomqvist

 

[VroomVroom]

You call that a Stig.

This is a real Stig:

Sig Blomqvist

Amen!

 

[PanterroR]

For some people, keeping secrets is not such an easy thing to do. To his credit, race car driver Ben Collins kept his alter ego, The Stig, secret for over six and a half years.

Unfortunately, revealing a secret sometimes leads to consequences. As punishment for violating a non disclosure agreement, the BBC has reportedly fired Collins. Collins has had a deal in the works to write a tell-all book for publishing company HarperCollins in which he reveals behind-the-scenes details about Top Gear.

The BBC has also sued HarperCollins to prevent the book's publication. The publishing firm claims the BBC is wasting money, while Top Gear executive producer Any Wilman says it is ridiculous for the publisher to go after cash by revealing a "harmless" mystery.

What lies in the balance is the fate of the White Stig. When the Black Stig was revealed to be race driver Perry McCarthy after McCarthy wrote his autobiography, Top Gear killed off the character. Could a new Stig be on the way, will the Black Stig finally emerge from the water, or will the White Stig live to see another day.

We should find out the truth by the time Top Gear Series 16 begins in November.


Source: The Stig gets the sack - report

 

[Monster]

They should focus their effort into improving the show, it has become too scripted, predictable and repetitive for a while now. It is time to change the format.

 

[Giannis]

I hope that the new Stig won't wear a pink uniform