Jeremy Clarkson unmasks The Stig - all three of them - during a Q&A at his pub The Farmer's Dog
His identity used to be a closely guarded secret - now Jeremy Clarkson has revealed which three drivers posed as The Stig across the Top Gear series.
He was the mysterious motoring maestro hidden behind the tinted visor of his crash helmet. For years, The Stig was a cult hero among fans of BBC car show Top Gear.
For a long time, his identity remained a closely-guarded secret, with fans instead introduced to the mystery driver each week, as they put the latest fast car through its paces, wowing audiences with their skills behind the wheel. As hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May shot to international fame via the show, The Stig remained a nameless star, famous only for his infamy.
At one point in the early 2000s, Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher posed as the masked driver, before the identity of the show's first Stig - former Formula 1 driver Perry McCarthy - was confirmed. In response, Top Gear replaced him with a second Stig - Ben Collins - who would later out himself as the man behind the mask and he too, was replaced.
Now, the identity of the UK show’s third Stig - which remained a secret even when the iconic trio of hosts departed the BBC amid claims Clarkson punched a producer over food during filming - has been revealed.
During a Q&A session at his new pub, The Farmer’s Dog, Clarkson told fans: "The original Stig was Perry McCarthy, followed by Ben Collins, followed by Phil Keen. There isn’t a current Top Gear so there isn’t a current Stig, but the last one was Phil Keen."
Keen is a 40-year-old regular in the British GT Championship, claiming more than 20 race wins in the series over the last two decades. Hailing from Berkshire, he was a factory driver for Lamborghini, as well as enjoying stints for Australia’s Grove Racing, and a drive at the 24 Hours of Dubai race earlier this year in a Mercedes-AMG GT3.
He was previously credited as a stunt driver on Top Gear and once worked with Collins on his mockumentary-style film, Ben Collins: Stunt Driver. He has, however, so far made no comment on Clarkson's remarks. Perhaps this version of The Stig will remain a mystery till the end...