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

Deakie = Normal girl

Effers = 'Normal' girl...nearly...

I'm Stig!

(of the dump)

"<>

So your typical Top Gear viewer then?"

Er... yes. Which was rather my point.

Well, it seems this whole thing may be more profitable for the guy than I first imagined.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1308552/Ben-Collins-The-Stig-Top-Gear-driver-revealed-SAS-hero.html


(with due acknowledgment to Moonhogg who's already posted the link in the 'what news story...' thread.)

Is there no danger in revealing himself as ex-SAS? To me, that seems a much bigger potential threat but what do I know ...

not really
he's not that old and I don't think he was in it for long

The ones who talk about it are the ones with the least experience...

what I mean is, at his age and with all the things he has on his CV the SAS can't have been a huge part of his life

An interesting quote from the Daily hate-mail:

"The racing driver's contract at the BBC expired last month and will not be renewed, it is understood, after the dispute which cost the corporation up to £100,000."

Now unless there was a clause in his contract that says he isn't allowed to reveal he is the Stig even after the contract has expired he has every right to reveal he WAS the Stig.

I gathered that there is indeed such a clause.

What amuses me is the idea of announcing to the world...wait for it, wait for it..the big unveiling, drum roll...I give you the name, Ben Collins. No more internet rumour. Hard fact.

But as James May said yesterday on the radio..sounds like the name of an accountant. I think this whole thing maybe some kind of very deep double bluff.

I don't think he's the real Ben Collins...

They could of course, pretend they've changed the Stig...


and then not do so!


Oh, the myriad possibilities

I have read somewhere that the contract said if the fact that CoLlins was the Stig was revealed due to himself giving it away he would be sacked. But as his contract was up...he couldn't be sacked. Possibly he made the decision that he could make more money and improve his career prospects if he jumped ship and revealed the identity.

Personally, good on him...not his fault the BBC decide to play hard-ball with our money.

Why they didn;t just get another driver with the same contract conditions I have no idea since once again no-one would know who it is...they've cocked up...

That Stig is a spy!*

*Team Fortress 2 meme.

I think you'll all find that this Ben Collins fellow is a fraud. I am the Stig!

Haven't read the backlog, but I just wanted to ask: Am I having a case of deja vu, or was the Stig's identity not revealed a couple of years ago?

KB: Unofficially, yes.

Which makes the actions of the BBC really sad.

The BBC have been bizarre about this. Still, when you have a seemingly bottomless pit of public money to draw on and lawyers on the staff, I suppose perspectives get skewed.

Exactly...um...Stig...they do not see the bigger picture that the current government has a major debt to pay to murdoch and art of that is neutering the BBC so Murdoch has even more power and influence over TV and UK and world politics.

I am not sure whether the powers at teh BBC have worked out whether the Tories castrating the BBC of their licence fee will get them the sack. It does seem that all the changes to the BBC websites is unwanted by the main part of the users but as the BBC paid some people to prduce an overall vision for BBC website dei=sign they are sticking with that even though it's less efficient and user friendly than previous versions.

BBC iplayer has a beta version which is less user friendly than the current totally fast and workable version ut it will disappear as it does not conform with the current BBC web vision.

I wonder how Mark Thompson's meeting with Andy Coulson at Downing Street went? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11173081



Oh, not well it would seem. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11183555

When I heard about the identity of Stig being revealed I thought 'I wonder who they'll get next'? Then I had the bizarre thought of Julie Walters doing her 'Mrs Overall' character dressed as the Stig.