Coordinates: 51°16′49″N 0°04′54″W / 51.2803°N 0.0816°W / 51.2803; -0.0816

Caterham
Roundabout in the centre of Caterham valley
Caterham  Caterham shown within Surrey
Population	20,957 [1]
OS grid reference	TQ335555
Civil parish	Caterham on the Hill
	Caterham Valley
District	Tandridge
Shire county	Surrey
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Caterham
Postcode district	CR3
Dialling code	01883
Police	Surrey
Fire	Surrey
Ambulance	South East Coast
EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	East Surrey
List of places: UK • England • Surrey

Caterham is a town in the Tandridge District of Surrey, England. The town is geographically divided into two sections: Caterham on the Hill and Caterham Valley - the main town centre. The town lies close to the A22, 21 miles from Guildford and a few miles south of Croydon, in a valley cut into the dip slope of the North Downs. Caterham on the Hill is above the western side of the valley. The resident population of Caterham is 20,957 people. Caterham is predominantly a commuter town due to its proximity to London.

History[link]

The town lies within the Anglo-Saxon administrative division of Tandridge hundred.

The original settlement was on the ridge above the modern town and is now called Caterham on the Hill. The modern town in the valley is a product of the Victorian age and the coming of the Caterham railway line in 1856. The Victorian expansion of the town required the building of a much larger parish church (St Mary the Virgin) in 1866 but the old Norman church of St Lawrence was retained and remains directly across the road from St Mary's. As it grew Caterham Valley gained its own church, St. John the Evangelist, which was consecrated in 1882. It is even larger than St. Mary's^{[citation needed]}.

From 1877 Caterham barracks on the hill was a depot for the foot guards regiments. In August 1975 a local public house (the Caterham Arms) which was frequented by soldiers was targeted by an IRA bomb.^[2] The barracks were closed in the 1990s and the site redeveloped for housing.

On 6 July 1974 PC John Schofield was shot and killed while on patrol in Caterham.^[3]

The North Downs Way, a popular National trail with walkers passes very close to the town.

Government[link]

Caterham is part of the East Surrey constituency which has been represented by Sam Gyimah since 2010.^[4] Caterham is represented by two county councillors at Surrey County Council; the councillor for Caterham Hill is a member of the Liberal Democrats and the councillor for Caterham Valley is a member of the Conservatives.^[5] David Hodge, leader of the county council and representative of nearby Warlingham lives in Caterham.^[6] Caterham is part of Tandridge district which is controlled by the Conservative party, who hold 34 of the 42 seats.^[7] Caterham is represented by thirteen councillors at district level.^[8] There are two parish councils covering Caterham, Caterham Valley and Caterham on the Hill. Caterham Valley is the smaller of the parish councils with two wards and six elected parish councillors.^[9] Caterham on the Hill has three wards and nine elected parish councillors.^[10]

Geography[link]

Before 1889 Caterham was the most eastern town of Surrey. As the north eastern parts of the county were absorbed, first by the County of London in 1889 and then Greater London in 1965, the border moved closer to Caterham until the town was in its current location, the north east corner of Surrey on the border with Greater London.^[11] Caterham is 21 miles (34 km) from the county town of Guildford.^[12]

Caterham lies within the North Downs and is a short distance from the North Downs Way national trail.^[13] The gault clay and the middle chalk that lies under the North Downs are both at their thickest around Caterham.^[14]

The town is divided in to Caterham on the Hill and Caterham Valley, each a Civil Parish. Caterham on the Hill is the older part of the town and is located on a ridge.^[15] Caterham Valley is situated in a valley in the North Downs below Caterham on the Hill.^[16]

The M25 motorway runs along the southern edge of Caterham between junctions 6 and 7.^[17]

	Chaldon	Whyteleafe	Warlingham
	Hooley		Woldingham
		Caterham    East
	Merstham	Godstone	Oxted

Demographics[link]

As of the 2001 census, Caterham has a total population of 20,957 people among 8,413 households.^[18] Of these 96% describe themselves as white and 75% Christian.^[18]

Notable people[link]

• Angus Deayton, television presenter, attended Oakhyrst Grange School (Caterham) and Caterham School
• Nicky Forster, footballer, born in Caterham
• Dar Lyon, first class cricketer
• Humphrey Lyttleton, jazz trumpeter & broadcaster, trained for Army at Caterham Barracks
• Bill Nighy, actor, born in Caterham
• Katie Price, former glamour model, author and celebrity, lives in the area
• Michael Robbins, actor, died in Caterham

Commerce[link]

Caterham-on-the-Hill's high street

Church Walk[link]

Church Walk Shopping Centre is a small shopping mall situated opposite Caterham railway station in Caterham Valley. Church Walk was built on the site of the Valley Hotel, which was demolished in 1988. Long before the Valley Hotel was built (to cater for visitors arriving on the new railway trains) there used to be a tennis court, croquet lawn, rose garden, fountain, and Mr. Woollet's nursery.

Caterham Cars[link]

Makers of the Caterham 7 sports car, have a dealership based in Station Avenue although the cars have actually been supplied by a factory in Dartford since the company expanded. When Caterhams were first built, they were built in a small factory behind a petrol station in Townend, on Caterham-on-the-Hill.

Caterham Cars are known as much for racing as they are for road use.

Transport[link]

A train standing at Caterham railway station

Caterham-on-the-Hill Westway Common bus stop

Rail[link]

Caterham is the modern terminus of the 1856-built Caterham Line from Purley. Trains operate into London Victoria station and London Bridge station, and on Sundays also to Charing Cross station.

Buses[link]

Bus routes that operate through Caterham are:

• 400 (Caterham - East Grinstead via Gatwick Airport)
• 404 (Caterham – Old Coulsdon)
• 407 (Caterham – Sutton)
• 409 (Croydon – Caterham)
• 466 (Caterham – Addington Village)
• 509 (Caterham - East Gristead via Lingfield)
• 540 (Woldingham – Redhill)
• 603 (Redhill - Oxted)

Sport[link]

Sports teams based in Caterham include youth football clubs, Caterham Pumas FC and Queens Park FC, and Old Caterhamians Rugby Football Club, which was established in 1928. Caterham Cricket Club previously played in Queen's Park and now share facilities with the rugby club. Caterham Sea Cadets, formed in 1942, also participate in a number of watersports activities.

Caterham Pumas Football Club play their matches at Joliffe Playing Field and provide football for under 6s up to under 17s we also have two adult teams.

Education[link]

Caterham has a mixture of state and private schools. The two most notable private schools in Caterham are Caterham School and Oakhyrst Grange School, both are on the outskirts of the town. The main state secondary school is de Stafford School. A secondary school for boys with special educational needs called Sunnydown school is also in Caterham on the Hill.^[19] There are also several state and private primary schools in the town.

East Surrey Museum[link]

The small East Surrey Museum near the station houses a local history collection. It is open on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays 10am −5pm.

Entertainment[link]

The Arc[link]

A community arts centre and theatre situated in the old Caterham Barracks. The building is made out of the two converted gymnasiums.

Miller centre[link]

Based in the town centre the Miller Centre is a theatre and community centre that puts on regular non-professional shows, films and is host to a number of clubs and community groups.

Ridge Radio[link]

A Community radio based at The Arc.

See also[link]

• London Defence Positions

References[link]

External links[link]

• History of Caterham Village
• Page for Caterham in Kelly's Directory of Kent, Surrey & Sussex, 1891
• Page with lots of photographs old and new of Caterham
• Official Dealer for Caterham Cars Caterham

v t e Towns, villages and hamlets in the Tandridge District of Surrey, England Bletchingley Burstow Caterham Caterham on the Hill Caterham Valley Chaldon Chelsham Crowhurst Dormansland Farleigh Felbridge Felcourt Fickleshole Godstone Hamsey Green Horne Hurst Green Limpsfield Lingfield Nutfield Oxted Smallfield Tandridge Tatsfield Titsey Warlingham Whyteleafe Woldingham

The Stig is a character in the British motoring television show Top Gear. The character plays on the anonymity of racing drivers' full-face helmets, with the running joke that nobody knows who, or indeed what, is inside the character's racing suit. The character was the creation of presenter Jeremy Clarkson and the show's producer Andy Wilman. "Stig" was a nickname for new boys at their old school, Repton. Although there is one "main" Stig, there are several "spin-off" Stigs, referred to by the presenters as "The Stig's <usually a reference to where the presenters are located> cousin."

The Stig is responsible for setting lap times for cars tested on the show, as well as instructing celebrity guests in the show's Star in a Reasonably Priced Car section. (see "Role" below) There have currently been three Stigs—the first Stig started on episode 1, but was killed off in the first episode of series 3. The second Stig appeared in the next episode, and lasted until series 15. The third Stig took over from December 2010.

The BBC has always refused to confirm officially the identity of the driver who plays the Stig. "Who is The Stig?" became a frequently asked question on the internet. The identity of the original 'Black' Stig, Perry McCarthy, was exposed by a Sunday newspaper after the first series of the show, in January 2003. McCarthy confirmed that he was 'The Stig' in the second edition of his autobiography, published following series two, and is now generally acknowledged as having been the first Stig, even by BBC media. The second Stig's identity was revealed, in his own autobiography, as Ben Collins, a professional racing driver who has participated in Formula Three, Indy Lights, sportscars, GT racing, stock cars & V8 Supercars.

Creation and name[link]

The idea for the character was part of host Jeremy Clarkson's and producer Andy Wilman's concept for the relaunched Top Gear show, bringing a new format to the original version of Top Gear which ceased production in 2001. The relaunched show would introduce a live studio audience, the Stig, a racetrack, and madcap stunts.^[1] Clarkson is credited by the Sunday Times with having come up with the original idea for the Stig.^[2] Clarkson and Wilman wanted to have a professional racing driver as part of the show's cast, but ran into difficulty finding a driver sufficiently adept at speaking on-camera. Clarkson then asked Wilman why the driver needed to speak at all, and the decision was made that the Stig's role would be silent.

The name Stig derives from Wilman and Clarkson's time at the private Repton School, where new boys had always been called "Stig".^[1][3] According to McCarthy, speaking in 2006, the producers had wanted the anonymous driver to be called 'The Gimp', referring to the use of gimp suits in BDSM sexual role-playing. After McCarthy objected, the name Stig was settled upon.^[4] McCarthy had said of the idea at the time that "I don't want to be forever remembered as the Gimp".^[2]

Characteristics[link]

Uniform[link]

The Black Stig wore a black helmet and overalls. The White Stig (MkI) uniform consists of a white Alpinestars racing suit with small Grand Prix Racewear logo, a white Simpson Bandit and later, Diamondback race helmet, black on white Alpinestars Tech 1-ZX gloves, and white Alpinestars Tech 1-T racing shoes. His white helmet was originally a Simpson Speedway RX model, while his shoes also began as Alpinestars Tech 1-K kart items.^{[citation needed]}. The New Stig's uniform is very similar to the previous Stig but has black epaulettes.

According to the Sunday Times writing in 2006, most of the crew did not know his identity, relaying how one camera assistant once observed him eating his lunch in the back of an ambulance to avoid being spotted.^[3] Again according to The Sunday Times writing in 2009, just a few BBC production staff and other journalists knew the Stig's real identity.^[2]

Anonymity and silence[link]

In the very first episode when introducing the Black Stig, Clarkson noted that, "We don't know its name, we really don't know its name, nobody knows its name, and we don't wanna know, 'cause it's a racing driver".^{[ep 1]} According to the Daily Mail writing in 2010, his face is never revealed on set, not even the celebrity guests training on the reasonably priced car are allowed to learn his identity. He stays suited and with his helmet on throughout the show, arriving early and leaving late, and having his own dressing room and eating privately. The studio audience has no access to him at any time.^[5]

Although the Stig does talk with celebrities while preparing them for their "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" lap times, he is never shown talking on screen. Clarkson has joked that he is "not a very talkative chap" when keeping silent while on set, in order to hide his identity.^[3] In a rare spoken interview, the Stig has reportedly said when asked what his real name was, that he didn't remember because his memory had been erased when he got the job.^[6] The Stig's muteness is extended to appearances in other media, such as the 'Brain Stig' viral video released by the BBC on their YouTube channel, to promote the new Top Gear website in 2009, depicting a frustrated staff member holding a brainstorming session for show ideas.^[7][8]

Clarkson has written in his newspaper column that the Stig is not permitted to talk because "the opinions of all racing drivers are completely worthless", going on to explain that, because of their familiarity with cars equipped for track racing, they believe any and all road cars are rubbish, even a Lamborghini Gallardo or a Bugatti Veyron. He confirmed this by test driving for himself a BMW 3-series diesel road car converted to a race car, complete with slick tyres, race suspension and brakes, and concluding that driving it was "more exciting and more fun to drive than any supercar".^[9]

Driving ability[link]

The show has often compared and contrasted the Stig's driving ability, particularly against Formula One drivers. When Jeremy Clarkson stated that the Stig believed that the Suzuki Liana, the show's Reasonably Priced Car at the time, could do a time of 1:44, a former F1 driver, Nigel Mansell, appearing as a guest on the programme, duly obliged by posting a lap time of 1:44.6, while the Stig then posted a lap time of 1:44.4.^{[ep 2]} Clarkson has often mentioned that F1 drivers seem to take a different racing line on the test track than the Stig, such as on Jenson Button's drive;^{[ep 3]} however, during Rubens Barrichello's and Lewis Hamilton's visits to the show, Clarkson observed that they took the same line around the track as The Stig.^{[ep 4]} Formula One driver Mark Webber's appearance on the show was marked at the conclusion of his lap with Clarkson presenting him with an "I AM THE STIG" T-shirt.^{[ep 5]} The show made various references to the Stig apparently having developed a jealous rivalry with Rubens Barrichello, after he became the first person to beat his time posted in the "Reasonably Priced Car" by a tenth of a second, posting a lap time of 1:44.3. Sebastian Vettel currently holds the record for F1 drivers with a time of 1:44.0.^{[ep 6]}

Other characteristics[link]

The Stig has been described by Clarkson as having a very small brain, worthless opinions, and a disorder called "Mansell Syndrome".^{[ep 1]}

The Stig's status and oddity has often been underlined with humorous introductions by the presenters before his appearances on the show. Initially, the Stig would be given simple humorous introductions on the show, such as "His Holiness, The Stig!" (introducing the Power Lap for the Bowler Wildcat.^{[ep 7]}) Beginning in Series 6, these began to follow a format of "Some say that [facts]. All we know is, he's called the Stig.", where the facts give away some unusual trait or other detail about the Stig.^[2] These often detail his odd character traits, such as being afraid of bells^[10] or confused by stairs.^[2] His possibly machine-like or at least non-human body is hinted at by revelations that his voice can only be heard by cats,^[11] or that he never blinks, naturally faces magnetic north, all his legs are hydraulic, he has two sets of knees, and heart ticks like a watch.^[2] He is even hinted at being a wild creature, spending his spare time catching fish with his tongue or foraging for wolves in the woods.^[2] Other odd details revealed in these introductions have included such facts as his face appears on high-value stamps in Sweden^[10] his left nipple is the shape of the Nürburgring,^[2] one of his eyes is a testicle,^[11] that he invented the curtain,^[12] that he daydreams of Rubens Barrichello being caught in a ham slicer, his salary is paid by the BBC in strong pornography, and that he developed the wonderful scent of Wednesday.

His introductions often jokingly refer to current events of the day, such as when Clarkson introduced Michael Schumacher as the Stig in 2009 by stating he "recently submitted a £20,000 expenses claim for some gravel for his moat," in reference to the MPs' expenses scandal,^[12] or when it was said "if you give him a really important job, he'll skive off and play croquet", referring to Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott in 2006.^{[ep 8]} One introduction even made reference to the conspiracy theories surrounding the death of Princess Diana: "Some say that he's banned from the town of Chichester and that in a recent late-night deal, he bought a slightly dented white Fiat Uno from the Duke of Edinburgh." Referring to the Arab Spring in early 2011, the Stig was said to regret "buying his new holiday home in downtown Cairo."

For the trip to the Isle of Man road test, the Stig was depicted as a piece of cargo, being collected by Clarkson from the baggage conveyor at the airport.^{[ep 9]} On the Top Gear 2005 DVD Revved Up, the Stig is depicted as being stored in a cupboard when not in use. The Stig is also portrayed as having bizarre listening habits as heard on the car stereo as he performs Power Laps. Often a specific genre is chosen for one or more series. These have included power ballads, one-hit wonders, easy listening, country and western, Morse code, progressive rock, whale songs, baroque, advertising jingles, foreign language tapes, romantic novels, salesman techniques, the hits of Elton John, the speeches of Margaret Thatcher, self-help tapes, pipe band music, Chas & Dave, vuvuzelas, and, in episode 5 of series 15, the Bee Gees in German.

The Stig's odd persona was maintained in his appearance at the National Television Awards, when he silently accepted an award, and handed the host Griff Rhys Jones a letter from Clarkson, May and Hammond, instructing him to give the Stig the award in his left hand, as his right one is magnetic, and cautioning organisers that he wasn't to be seated near the cast of Coronation Street, as "he's decided all northerners are edible".^[13]

Role[link]

The Stig is credited alongside Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May as a presenter of Top Gear in the end credits. The Stig's primary roles on the show centre on the Top Gear test track at the show's base at Dunsfold Aerodrome, Surrey. His two main functions are to post lap times for various featured performance cars in the 'Power Laps' segment, and to train celebrity guests to set lap times on the test track in the 'Star in a Reasonably Priced Car' segment.^[5][14][15]

The Stig's role as a test driver is described on the Top Gear website Power Laps board as follows:

Every performance road car that comes to the Top Gear test track eventually ends up in the hands of our tame racing driver...He doesn't do sponsorship, excuses or post race press-conferences. He exists for one reason alone-to wring every last drop of performance out of any car he drives, giving us a definitive lap time around our demanding test track.^[10]

When first introduced, the Stig was described as the resident test driver, as the presenters could not consistently post fast times themselves. His stated mission was to "just go out there and drive fast".^{[ep 1]} This was reflected by the original Stig Perry McCarthy who described in 2006 how a racing driver was intended to be used as part of the presenting team in order to produce definitive fastest lap times for tested cars.^[4]

Identity[link]

Previous Stigs[link]

Black Stig[link]

Racing driver Perry McCarthy was the original, Black Stig, appearing in 22 episodes of the programme in all.^[2][12]

McCarthy got the role of the Stig after a chance meeting with Jeremy Clarkson at the launch party for McCarthy's autobiography, Flat Out, Flat Broke: Formula 1 the Hard Way!, published on 4 July 2002.^{[2][16][17][18]} This led to an audition as a regular presenter, before the production team then decided the racing driver would be anonymous.^[2][4] (Although in 2008, McCarthy said that Clarkson mentioned the idea of a 'top secret' racing driver at their first meeting.^[16])

After the first series ended, an article on 12 January 2003 in The Sunday Mirror named the Stig as Perry McCarthy.^[17][18][19] The newspaper quoted a show insider stating "Just a handful of the crew know that he is actually Perry". At the time, McCarthy simply stated "I do know who the Stig is but I cannot comment any further."^[19][20] After the second series ended, McCarthy published the second edition of his autobiography, confirming that he was The Stig.^{[citation needed]} McCarthy was then "killed off" in the first episode of the third series, which aired on 26 October 2003.

The scene which saw Black Stig "killed off", nicknamed "Top Gun vs Top Gear", was an attempt to race to 100 mph (160 km/h) and then come to a halt on the 200 metres (660 ft) long flight deck of HMS Invincible, a Royal Navy aircraft carrier, on which British Aerospace Sea Harrier jump jets reach 100 mph (160 km/h) before take-off. He would be using the 'old Top Gear Jag', a white Jaguar XJS bought for a 'couple of hundred quid', stripped of its fittings and fitted with nitrous injection, to take it to 500 bhp (370 kW), which had been featured in series 2, beating 'just about every supercar on the planet' in a drag race. Black Stig accelerated along the deck, and an on screen speedometer indicated 109 mph (175 km/h), before a cutaway shot saw the car flying off the end of the runway ramp and into the sea. Clarkson then revealed in the last scene of the episode, that the shot of a glove floating on the sea was all that divers had found.^[21][22] According to McCarthy, "We tried to make it as much like a scene out of James Bond as possible".^[16]

The explanations for his exit vary.^[2] Speaking in 2008, McCarthy stated "My time at Top Gear ended nicely enough. I’d had a great time and felt it was time to call it a day. So we all shook hands and they threw me off an aircraft carrier."^[16] The Times claimed in 2009 that he fell out with producers.^[12] In August 2010, he described how he became tired of the job, which he claimed paid just £700 a week. He said part of his annoyance with the role had come from an attempt by a car owner to sue him for ruining his car,^[23] a rare Jaguar C-Type, winner of the 1953 Le Mans 24 Hours, and the BBC stating they could not defend him due to his anonymity. He stated that the BBC eventually chose not to renew his contract, and wrote him out.^[22]

Speaking in 2009, McCarthy relayed how to keep his anonymity, when he drove to work as the Stig, he would don the Stig's helmet while going through the security gates at Dunsfold aerodrome, and then he would change into his racing overalls in a special room behind the gatehouse, before then driving into the studio areas. He would speak as little as possible in the backstage areas, and put on an accent, which some mistook as French.^[2] McCarthy also explained that hiding his identity while coaching the celebrities for Star in a Reasonably Priced Car proved difficult. He stated that he did reveal his true identity while coaching Ross Kemp and David Soul, as he had previously met them. For other drives, if celebrities asked if he was a particular person, he would just say "How did you know?", adding that more often than not, the suggestion was Michael Schumacher.^[2]

Having had background in top level motor racing before Top Gear, and having originally intended to be a Formula One driver, albeit failing to qualify for any races in the 1992 Formula One season for the Moda Judd team, McCarthy stated in 2006 he did not regret leaving the supercars on Top Gear, and instead harboured ambitions at re-entering racing in the Grand Prix Masters series. After Top Gear he went on to run an investment company,^[4] and earn £6,000 a time doing after dinner speaking.^[22]

However, according to the Sunday Times writing in 2009, McCarthy had revealed in his book that there had always been more than one Stig, and that 47 year-old Julian Bailey, a former Formula One driver for Tyrrell and Lotus, had acted as a stand in for McCarthy, as Black Stig.^[2] In a June 2009 interview with the Daily Mail, Bailey, who was selling his home in Effingham, Surrey, said "I was one of the Stigs...which was pretty handy as filming was done just down the road...I have stopped now, but I am not supposed to talk about it."^[24]

The First White Stig[link]

The First White Stig
The Stig
Top Gear character
Portrayed by	Ben Collins, occasionally others
Duration	2003–2010
First appearance	2 November 2003 (Series 3; Episode 2)
Last appearance	1 August 2010 (Series 15; Episode 6)

This Stig started in the episode after Black Stig was killed off, and lasted until August 2010, when he revealed himself as Ben Collins. This Stig's job was similar to the last Stig's although while Black Stig was primarily used for Power Lap times and Reasonably Priced Car training, the white Stig's role had been expanded, and he has been used beyond the Top Gear test track in other show challenges and road tests, such as producing timed runs in the Isle of Man road test,^{[ep 9]} driving a Caterham Seven from Caterham to Knockhill,^{[ep 10]} riding a London Bus, the DLR and the Tube across London,^{[ep 11]} and jumping a snowmobile off a ski-jump in Lillehammer, Norway.^{[ep 12]} He has also been used in various roles at the studio, such as playing a police pursuit driver in the White Van Man challenge.^{[ep 3][3]}

Since Clarkson's 2010 DVD The Italian Job, This Stig is now known as "Sacked Stig".^{[citation needed]}

Speculation over the White Stig's identity[link]

There had been much speculation over the identity of this Stig since 2005, from various sources, claiming that a number of drivers, including Collins, Damon Hill, Julian Bailey, Russ Swift, Darren Turner and Tim Schrick, as well as former Top Gear Presenter, now Fifth Gear presenter Tiff Needell were the Stig. There had also been speculation of multiple drivers being the Stig. Many people had also claimed to be the Stig themselves, including Jay Kay and Damon Hill.

When Richard Hammond crashed a jet-powered car, the accident report into the crash described Ben Collins as someone who worked closely with Top Gear as a high performance driver and consultant.^[25]

Original Stig Perry McCarthy stated in November 2006 that he knew who the White Stig was, and hinted at the multiple driver theory.^[4]

Many racing drivers, and principals, including Andrew Kirkaldy, Susie Stoddart and Stewart Roden claimed to know who it was, saying that "In the racing world, a lot of the team managers (and racing drivers) know who is under the helmet, but it's top secret", with Kirkaldy claiming He's reasonably quiet and modest and doesn't ever talk about it. I only found out by chance and he's certainly never admitted it."^[6]

After observing the Stig's charity drive around the Silverstone Circuit just before the July 2008 British Grand Prix, former Formula One World Champion Fernando Alonso remarked, "Whoever’s in that car is a seriously good driver... I’ve no idea who he is, but he’s definitely ex-F1".^[26][27]

During 2009, the rumours of the Stig's identity increased rapidly, with various newspapers claiming during January that it was indeed Collins. These include a builder who claimed to have seen his white helmet and uniform on display in his house while doing some work for him, and an art gallery owner and his son claiming that in 2008 a man had enquired about the creation of 450 signed and limited edition prints of the Stig. He first claimed to be a BBC executive, but then revealed himself to be the Stig after they agreed to do the job and signed a confidentiality agreement to keep it secret.^[20][28]

Furthermore, the tabloid News of the World obtained information stating he was on a salary of around £150,000 a year, by combining his Top Gear job with some stunt and test driving. He was in his 30s, married, living in a £300,000 home and drove a car worth £15,000. It quoted the BBC source stating "This is the best-kept secret in motor racing and we want to keep it that way. No one will ever officially confirm his identity."^[20][29] This contradicts many newspapers beliefs (and that of car magazines, such as Peter Lawton, consumer editor of What Car? magazine) that this had been an "open secret within the motoring world for some years" which the media had previously kept secret in order to "uphold the spirit of the programme".

A BBC source said "The simple fact of the matter is that there are currently four Stigs who drive on the test track" for reasons of practicality. The report claimed that in addition to the rumoured Ben Collins,and MIRA Ice Racing Champion Mike Wilson, Julian Bailey was also currently working as the Stig, with more drivers also used when their schedules clashed. Supporting this, it relayed the source's explanation that if you look at the show the height of the Stig varies.^{[citation needed]}

Whilst these rumours were ongoing, the Top Gear website blog facetiously revealed that the Stig was a Royal Bank of Scotland chairman Sir Tom McKillop attempting to recover crippling losses, as well as the newly elected US President Barack Obama, who only ran for election to fill in the time between series, and Graham Hill, who they claim faked his own death in a plane crash in 1975 to take the role.^{[2][30][31][32]}

In his newspaper column in The Sun on 24 January 2009, Clarkson joked that the Stig was in fact the BBC Royal Correspondent Nicholas Witchell, declaring he would now have to be killed by being dropped from a Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport plane, and the Telegraph will have to now find another big secret to expose, such as the size of the TARDIS, or the identity of Father Christmas.^[33]

The Daily Mail claimed it had tracked down "another former Stig" who anonymously told them the names of a total of eight drivers who had "recently stood in as the test-driving mystery man." In addition to the previously mentioned Ben Collins and Julian Bailey, and the man named "Will", the paper named the Formula One driver Heikki Kovalainen, the former GT world champion Chris Goodwin, stunt drivers Terry Grant and Russ Swift, and the Swedish snow mobile racing champion Dan Lang. It claimed Kovalainen raced a Formula One car around the test track in 2004, and Lang was the driver in the snowmobile ski jump stunt.^{[ep 12]} The BBC refused to comment on the story.^[34]

In September 2009, British racing driver Justin Bell, best friend of the original Stig Perry McCarthy, has said he knew who the Stig was, but would not reveal his name. He also stated that he didn't understand why he did it, stating "You can't talk about it and nobody knows who you are. There's nothing good about it ... unless you go to a convention of other people in white helmets and white suits". Bell spoke out after being hired for the job of driving instructor on The Jay Leno Show's Green Car Challenge segment, similar to the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car, causing him to be dubbed 'America's Stig'.^[35]

In September 2010, it was claimed that 26-year-old racing driver Phil Keen had stood in for the White Stig, both behind the wheel, and in appearances, when Collins was unavailable, including at the 2009 Top Gear Live event in Germany.^[36]

Michael Schumacher 'revealed'[link]

On 20 June 2009, Jeremy Clarkson revealed in his Sun newspaper column that the Stig would finally show the world his face in the series thirteen opening episode to be broadcast the next day.^[37] Clarkson said that The Stig wished to unmask himself to quash speculation over his identity, stating "He's been fed up with newspapers speculating that he's a photocopier salesman from Bolton, or lives in a pebble-dashed house in Bristol".^[12]

The show first depicted the Stig driving a black Ferrari FXX round the test track in a time of 1:10.7 seconds.^[12] Afterwards, after walking into the studio and sitting on the green couch, with the audience shouting "Off! Off! Off! Off!", the Stig took his helmet off to reveal he was the Formula One multiple World Champion Michael Schumacher.^[38][39] In the following interview, Schumacher then played up to some of the supposed defining character traits of the Stig, such as the claim he only knows two facts about ducks (both being wrong), and that he is illegal in only nine (and not seventeen) US states.^[12]

The BBC would initially not confirm or deny it was just a stunt, but a spokesman was quoted as saying "You have to bear in mind that Top Gear is an entertainment programme. We never reveal who or what The Stig is,".^[40] The next day however, The Telegraph wrote: "A spokesman for Top Gear confirmed Schumacher had been The Stig during the Ferrari circuit, driving his own car ... But the spokesman added that the identity of the driver at other times would remain "a mystery".^[41]

Ben Collins' autobiography[link]

On 19 August 2010 it was reported that there was a legal dispute progressing between publishers representing the Stig and the BBC over plans to release an autobiography revealing his identity. It stated that the dispute surrounded the Stig's dissatisfaction at being unable to exploit his fame, and earning an estimated £5,000 and £10,000 per show, compared to six and seven figure earnings by the other Top Gear presenters. It described the situation as incredibly tense, with Clarkson said to be deeply upset, and with show insiders fearing that the Stig could either quit the show, or be fired, with the dispute needing to be settled way before the sixteenth series. A BBC spokesman confirmed to the paper that "The BBC is in a legal dispute over the publication of a book relating to Top Gear as this breaches agreed contractual and confidentiality obligations relating to the show."^[5][14][15]

Then, the Sunday Times claimed to have unearthed more evidence that showed Collins was the Stig, namely financial documents for his company Collins Autosport dating back to the White Stig's entry to the show. They stated the documents reported in December 2003 an increase in profits, put down to "driving services provided for the BBC, mainly in the Top Gear programme", just a month after the White Stig's first appearance. When contacted over the story, Collins merely stated "I can't speak to you. I'm going into a tunnel". Responding to the report, the BBC stated that it was "no surprise that Ben Collins's company listed Top Gear amongst its work as the driver had appeared numerous times on the programme and he often supplied other drivers for both the programme and Top Gear Live".^[42]

The BBC sued the publisher for an attempt to profit from the unauthorised use of the Top Gear brand, maintaining that revealing the identity would spoil viewers' enjoyment of the show. The publisher responded, stating "We are disappointed that the BBC has chosen to spend licence fee payers' money to suppress this book and will vigorously defend the perfectly legitimate right of this individual to tell his story".^[42]

The Top Gear executive producer Andy Wilman wrote on a Top Gear blog on 27 August, attacking the publisher for trying to cash in on the programme, describing them as a "bunch of chancers", describing the action as an issue of trust, and justifying the use of license fee to fight the case based on the brand's value to the programme and the viewers, clarifying that half of the case costs were being met by BBC Worldwide, their commercial arm.^[43][44]

On 29 August 2010, the Daily Mirror claimed the BBC had already sacked Collins from the Stig role, citing the Stig's appearance at the Top Gear Live August 2010 Stunt Show at the Nürburgring in Germany, at the same time as Collins was photographed at his West Country home.^[45][46] When asked about the ongoing High Court action, Collins stated "I am not allowed to talk about it."^[46] Despite objections from the publisher, the legal case hearings began in private on 31 August.

Outcome[link]

After a day and a half of hearings, the case concluded, with the judge finding against the BBC, refusing to grant an injunction blocking the publication. The proposed book was reportedly called The Man in the White Suit, and was indeed about Ben Collins, but still clarifying that it "won't confirm or deny that Ben Collins either was or remains The Stig". Collins was in court to hear the final judgment. HarperCollins confirmed that the reasons for declining the injunction were to be given by the judge later, in a private judgment.^[47]

Both Collins and Harper Collins refused to confirm his status as the Stig to reporters waiting outside the court after the case, but the publisher maintained surprise at the BBC's decision to fight the case, stating the information in dispute had always been in the public domain.^[48][49][48] Following the court ruling, Collins' autobiography, The Man in the White Suit, was due to be published on 16 September 2010.^[49] As of 2 September 2010, the web site of the Gordon Poole Agency, the talent agency representing Ben Collins, referred to Collins as Top Gear's The Stig.^[50]

In the immediate reaction, The Telegraph asserted that the judgment meant that the Stig had now been conclusively outed as Ben Collins, bringing an end to seven years of speculation and theories as to who wore the white overalls. It also conceded that, " with the corporation yet to officially acknowledge the fact, Collins' future in the role is less certain".^[51] The BBC News website published a profile of Collins' career on the same day, but merely stated that he will "publish an autobiography in which he claims to be The Stig".^[52]

Aftermath[link]

Following the BBC's failure to obtain an injunction against the autobiography, James May jokingly stated "Obviously I'm now going to have to take some legal action of my own, because I have been the Stig for the past seven years, and I don't know who this bloke is, who's mincing around in the High Court pretending it's him."^[47] May kept up the pretence in a column in The Telegraph, expounding on his double life as Captain Slow and the Stig, and how his replacement was named Collins - the Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins.^[53]

A couple of names were then considered to be the next Stig, if there was to be one, most notably Heikki Kovalainen and Anthony Davidson as the favourites, as well as former White Stig stand-in, racing driver Phil Keen.^[36] The odds on a female Stig were also cut, after Clarkson suggested the character will be replaced.^[54]

The Telegraph claimed that Collins had been axed by Top Gear, citing BBC sources who said that as a result of the court case, Collins' contract with the BBC, having already expired in the previous month, would not now be renewed by the BBC. It claimed that a television talent management agency was now planning to use Collins in a new show in competition with Top Gear. It also claimed the BBC had spent up to £100,000 in their bid to have the court impose a temporary injunction banning Collins' book.^[55]

Speaking to a radio station the same day, James May explained that in the new series of the show, for which filming was to start the following week, he will be dealt with in a similar way to how the Black Stig was killed off and replaced, having "had to be dealt with by Andy [Wilman, the show producer]". Possible ideas included "driving to The Stig's house and nailing his head to the table", in addition to reclaiming the overalls, shoes and gloves, which were "not his", claiming Wilman was furious at Collins for writing his autobiography.^[56]

On 4 September, The Sun quoted a BBC spokeswoman as saying "No decision has yet been made as to whether The Stig will be killed off.