Top Gear as We Know It Is Officially Dead

9 years, 8 months ago - 4 April 2015, Carbuzz
Top Gear as We Know It Is Officially Dead
Richard Hammond and James May don't renew Top Gear contracts. The BBC's worst nightmare has officially come true: James May and Richard Hammond have declined to renew their contracts with the network.

This announcement officially leaves Top Gear without any presenters after Jeremy Clarkson was also forced off the show. May and Hammond declined to renew their contracts with the BBC before a midnight March 31 deadline, which makes them free to negotiate with any other network.

Clarkson has stayed mum on his future, and Hammond and May appear to be following suit. May has taken up playing the recorder, showing off his skills in a recent YouTube video. Hammond has been much quieter, although a series of tweets revealed he isn't quite ready to retire just yet. He tweeted a photo of a motorcycle sketch and lamented his boredom now that Top Gear is off the air. Just because the pair declined to renew their contracts doesn't mean they're done with the BBC forever. They can renegotiate a return to Top Gear at a later time, or to another show, although that's unlikely an option for Clarkson.