Overview
- He died peacefully on Saturday, 8 November, following a short battle with lung cancer, his family said.
- He helped shape the original Top Gear in the 1990s as a used‑car expert and later fronted Channel 5’s Fifth Gear.
- The family described him as “a true national treasure” and credited his FairFuel campaign with helping to freeze fuel duty, claiming it prevented over £100 billion in extra taxation.
- He created and presented Britain’s Worst Drivers and The Car’s the Star, and he holds Strictly Come Dancing’s lowest-ever score from 2004.
- Public tributes included messages from former colleagues James May and Jeremy Clarkson, and funeral arrangements will be announced in due course.