Matt LeBlanc Reportedly Issues Ultimatum On ‘Top Gear’ Set: ‘It’s Either Chris Evans Or Me’
Matt LeBlanc has had enough of his Top Gear co-host Chris Evans. According to the Huffington Post UK, LeBlanc has reportedly hit his bosses at the BBC2 car-themed series with an ultimatum — “It’s either him or me.”
The UK paper the Sun reports that Matt LeBlanc has grown weary of Evans’ rude behavior and frosty attitude towards him and the rest of the Top Gear staff. Insiders say Matt and Chris’ Top Gear team “does not gel at all” and it is starting to affect everyone on the set of the reality show.
Matt LeBlanc is not the only Top Gear personality who is unhappy. A source for the show claims Evans is upset over the adulation that newcomers Rory Reid and Chris Harris are getting, and that the “keeps his distance from all of them” during filming of the British show.
Matt LeBlanc initially signed on for two seasons of Top Gear when he was announced as one of the replacements for the show’s past hosts, but now filming for his second run could be delayed as showrunners figure out what to do about the Chris Evans problem.
Evans and the BBC have not commented on the situation, but a rep for Matt LeBlanc told the Sun “nothing has been discussed or decided” regarding the actor’s future on the show. Matt LeBlanc is currently in Los Angeles getting ready to shoot his new CBS comedy, Man With a Plan.
While the alleged situation with the Top Gear cast is a far cry from Matt LeBlanc’s super friendly relationship with his former Friends cast mates, the self-described “car nut” previously slammed rumors that he didn’t get along with Evans. In fact, just last month, Matt LeBlanc told Radio Times that he is a fan of his Top Gear co-star.
“All this stuff that Chris and I are at war with each other is a big load of bullsh*t,” Matt said. “We’ve never had a rift! I’m a true car fan, Chris is a true car fan. We’re hanging out, having a laugh, doing our best. He is an extremely smart guy. I’d beat him in a race, though – and you can tell him I said that.”
LeBlanc even went so far as to say that he and his English co-star make a good team because of the different personalities they bring out on the stunt-filled car show.
“Chris is more about the aura of cars, the mystique,” LeBlanc told Radio Times. “I’m more technical … I inject comedy. That’s my background. I’m always pitching jokes.”
While Top Gear insiders say producers will likely have to make the unfortunate decision of which star to keep—LeBlanc or Evans—in order for the show to move forward, Matt LeBlanc could always call on some old friends to fill the void if he ends up being the last man standing. Matt previously revealed that at least two Friends alums would be a good fit for the BBC2 car show.
“Yeah, who knows, down the road,” LeBlanc said. “[David] Schwimmer is into cars. After him, it’s probably Courteney [Cox]. She’s a car nut, believe it or not. She’s forever asking me about cars and I’m forever talking her out of some rubbish she wants to buy.”
Matt LeBlanc and Chris Evans’ issues aside, the current series of Top Gear has not been well-received by viewers. The show recently hit a 10-year low in ratings, so something definitely needs to be changed regarding the chemistry on the show.
Take a look at the video below to see Matt LeBlanc and his co-star goofing around on Top Gear.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6ZHRe-VDfo
[Photo by Matthew Eisman/Getty Images]
