h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Don't watch Top Gear, so no idea why I'm really interested but I'm suddenly intrigued by the Stig outing story.


So he's been outed as some racing driver/businessman called Collins. Only it's in his own autobiography that he's been outed.

What intrigues me is that if he wanted to out himself, he could just say 'it was me!'.
But no, apparently audits of his business show payments to BBC's Top Gear programme, leading us to the conclusion that he must be the Stig.


So why is it necessary to be so elaborate and detective-like in outing onesself? What am I missing here?

Because he is bound by a confidentiality agreement, so if he outed himself the Beeb would be able to sue him for quite a bit of money.

If someone else outs him, by looking through his business books or publishing his autobiography, isn't covered by the agreement. Though it seems a bit strange that the act of writing the autobiography isn't considered breaching the confidentiality agreement.

I wonder what colour the next Stig will be.

>Though it seems a bit strange that the act of writing the autobiography isn't considered breaching the confidentiality agreement.<

Well quite. How can someone else write an autobiography? That makes it a biography surely?

Most people with an interest in motor sport and/or Top Gear knew the Stig was Ben Collins. For a start, he was named in the inquiry into Richard Hammond's serious car crash a few years ago.


Personally I think Top Gear is desperately needing a re-vamp and the Stig joke has worn a bit thin.

The whole thing about the anonymity of The Stig was basically an in-joke. The only thing they're doing by "outing" him is spoiling everyone's fun.
Well, that's the way it seems to me, at least.

But the BBC and the programme are not outing him, they went to *court* to try and stop his outing and the series producer was doing a really good acting job if this all just a publicity stunt.


I think really my main point which even seem to have missed as I haven't put it across was why is it in his won interest to out himself?

I think it isn't since he's clearly lost the job - so was there some part of his 'autobiography' that was not authorised by him?

Or was he really just trying to sell more books? Obviously people have actually heard of him now so the potential readership will have expanded. Seems a bit counterproductive to me though since he's lost a significant income stream through this.



Maybe he was tired of the job. But then again, he could have just said - 'it was me!' and resigned.



I guess I'm just trying to figure who wins out of this except the publishing firm - who probably lost any profit on the lawyers they employed to defend the case.

>I think really my main point which even seem to have missed as I haven't put it across was why is it in his won interest to out himself?<

Should read

I think really my main point which even *I* seem to have missed as I haven't put it across was why is it in his *own* interest to out himself?

to flog his book?

I just said that didn't I?

Will that really profit him in the long term? As opposed to having a steady, reasonably well payed and high profile (if anonymous) job?

My guess is that he looked at how much money the BBC were paying him, looked at how much money a nobody-racing-driver would make from his autobiography, then looked at how much money the autobiography of the Stig would bring in... Did the sums and decided he'd make more money from his book than he would from continuing to work as the Stig.

There was a great 'unofficial' video doing the rounds a while back of the original 'black' stig emerging from the sea... Wouldn't surprise me if they re-shot that professionally and went back to a black-suited driver...

"I just said that didn't I?"
Yeah, but then you asked a question to which I considered it the answer

"Will that really profit him in the long term? As opposed to having a steady, reasonably well payed and high profile (if anonymous) job?"
I guess that depends on how long he thought that job would continue. Or how long he wanted it to continue.

I gathered that he was retired from racing, and didn't really need the money. But likes the money anyway, so a one-off cash-in was perfectly adequate.

I suppose the other thing is that he's a racing driver...

People don't get to be professional racing drivers unless they're _very_ competitive in nature...

Very competitive people tend to have egos...

Having an ego and not being able to tell anyone you're the Stig must be pretty grating after a while.

Yeah, I think Whisky's got it: he might have gotten sick of all the restrictions put on him by the confidentiality clause. He could breach it himself but if he writes his autobiography and gets someone to publish it he's been outed, doesn't have those restrictions any more and gets to make a chunk of money from the book.

Chances are, had this not been so acrimonious, the BBC would have still used his company for other drivers (doesn't he supply the drivers for things like the car football, motorhome demolition driving and the bus race?) so he continues to make money.

Interestingly, until the BBC ends his contract, he's still bound by the confidentiality agreement. Strictly speaking it might mean he still can't say he's the Stig, even though we all know he is. If the Beeb wanted to be really petty they could hold him to that for as long as possible. Everyone would know, but he'd be unable to personally confirm it. So no interviews, no personal publicity, no special guest appearances.

Personally I think Top Gear is starting to look like a bit of a tired format. It could do with a rest or a revamp. The decline in available budget has been particularly noticeable for the last series.

Perhaps the Stig has seen the writing on the wall and decided to jump before he's pushed. I'll stick my neck out and predict that there will be one or perhaps two more series of Top Gear before it's "rested" again, and there'll be guest Stigs in the meantime.

Top Gear does seem to be losing its way these days. I know the current series hasn't been gripping viewing - it's had its moments, but I agree that the budget cuts have been a contributing factor.

I thought James May admitted he was the Stig?

I've not bothered with the latest format since it started. The obsession with supercars is just and reminds me that it seemed to be de-rigeur to have a poster of a lamborghini or a ferrari on your wall when we were 14 (except in my house) - as if anyone was ever likely to get one through bunking off school.

Agree that it's getting a little tired.


Andy Wilman put on his blog defending the 'BBC' spending £100,000 trying to stop the publication and outing of the Stig here:

"Some of you will say we’re also trying to protect a brand the BBC makes money out of. You’re right there too. The Stig does make money for BBC Worldwide, which is a business, and some of it is invested back into the business, some of it is paid out in dividends, and crucially, some of it goes back into funding the TV show. And the show needs that money, ‘cos this ain’t a cheap piece of telly. And actually, while I’m on the money point, BBC Worldwide are also picking up half the tab for this case, so it’s by no means just licence fee payers’ money being spent."
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I am a big fan of Top Gear but the BBC, BBC Worldwide andy Wilman et al have miscalculated here and, personally, I find it a tad insulting and it give a feeling that they think we are stupid.

'The Stig' is a fictional character and knowing who it is most of the time. personally, doesn't bother me, like it doesn't the large amount of people who know it's been Ben Collins for years.

The 'Some say he blah blah blah' bits introducing the Stig are not made any less funny knowing we know who it is...in fact it makes it silier.

The BBC etc should have just kept quiet, let the book be published, keep ben Collins as the Stig and just gone on as if nothing had happened rather than spending money that could have been put back into programmes. I doubt whether it would affect sales of Stig stuff as it merely a running gag now.

The very fact that the programme is a BBC cash cow for Wilman/Clarkson/BBC/BBC Worldwide shows that guys dicking about in cars is popular. Why the hell they are cutting the budget on a cash cow is beyond comprehension...it makes back it's budget easily...we can all see the quality and epicness dropping off it with the drop in budget.

Personally, I think it is because lots of people in the BBC don;t like it and are jealous of it's success. The BBC news website only ever has Top gear news items if it's to rub Top gears nose in some 'controversy' when Top gear won the Emmy for Best foreign factual programme there wasn;t even a mention of it...any other programme and it would be front page news on the BBC news website.

What do you think will attract more paying customers -

Ben Collins Autosport http://www.collinsautosport.com/index.php

Or "Come learn to drive fast with the Stig dot com" ?


Collins makes around £20k per programme so I hear. Clarkson, May et al make a *helluva* lot more out of the spin-offs. Collin's racing career has a finite lifespan and his motor school would probably fade away as his name became less well known and other ex-drivers started up their own schools. But a driving school linked to the Stig will make him a fortune and open up all kinds of commercial opportunities.