'Top Gear' production moved to new home in Bristol for 2022
Top Gear is moving from its long-standing home in London to a new Bristol base next year.
The BBC Studios in Bristol has become a growing production hub, with the car series — starring Paddy McGuinness, Freddie Flintoff and Chris Harris — becoming the new jewel in the production team’s crown.
The decision will mean a host of new job opportunities for those trying to break into the editorial and production areas.
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Hannah Wyatt, BBC Studios’ Managing Director for Factual Entertainment and Events Productions, said of the move: “Our Bristol hub is an already incredibly successful and vibrant production base that makes many of our highly popular returning factual entertainment series and blue-chip natural history titles - so the Top Gear team will be in very good creative company. It’s an exciting move for the show.”
Dunsfold Aerodrome, which has been home to the series for more than two decades, will continue to be used for the show’s races, with filming also continuing there.
BBC Studios Bristol has become one of the broadcaster’s fastest growing hubs, with series including Countryfile, DIY SOS and Gardeners’ World being made there.
It’s also home to the Natural History Unit, responsible for David Attenborough shows like Blue Planet II.
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McGuinness, Flintoff and Harris are currently filming the 31st series of the show, with the trio travelling across the UK to test out the latest cars and trends.
They will also shoot the 32nd series before the production team moves over to Bristol in Sprint 2022.
The group became the central focus of the series in 2018, as part of a major reshuffle following the 2016 exit of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May.
Radio DJ Chris Evans and Friends star Matt LeBlanc initially took over, but Evans was dropped after one series and LeBlanc quit in early 2018.
Top Gear is currently available on BBC iPlayer and BritBox.
WATCH: Top Gear vacates Dunsfold home for first time in nearly 20 years
