Overview
- His family said he died peacefully on Saturday after a short battle with lung cancer and asked for privacy, with funeral arrangements to be confirmed.
- Willson co-hosted BBC’s Top Gear from 1991 to 2001 before moving to Channel 5’s Fifth Gear, and he created programmes including Britain’s Worst Drivers and The Car’s The Star.
- A prominent consumer advocate, he co-founded FairFuelUK, credited with helping to freeze UK fuel duty, and later led the FairCharge campaign to make electric vehicles more affordable.
- He was an early supporter of electric cars, with his family noting he championed the GM EV1 long before EVs were mainstream.
- Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Tiff Needell were among those paying tribute, and he is survived by his wife Michaela, three children and three grandchildren.