Dermot O’Leary & The Stig Front BBC One’s The Getaway Car

LONDON: BBC One has commissioned the competition show The Getaway Car, hosted by Dermot O’Leary and featuring Top Gear’s The Stig.

The Saturday night entertainment show sees pairs—couples, grandparents and grandchildren, siblings or best friends—get behind the wheel of a car and attempt to work together under fast-paced driving conditions to win a top prize. In order to win, the pair must compete against Top Gear’s legendary test driver, The Stig (a.k.a. Ben Collins). The show is slated for a 2016 premiere. BBC Worldwide is the global distributor and holds the format rights for The Getaway Car.

“The Getaway Car is a really fun, new adrenaline-charged entertainment show for BBC One,” said Charlotte Moore, BBC One’s controller. “It’s very exciting to welcome both Dermot O’Leary and The Stig to Saturday nights on BBC One.”

Katie Taylor, the controller of entertainment and events at BBC Production, added: “The Getaway Car is an ambitious and exciting Saturday night entertainment show that enhances the BBC’s commitment to producing some of the most original entertainment formats around. With Dermot in the driving seat, I’m sure the BBC One audience will love it.”

Tracy Forsyth, the genre director of factual entertainment and entertainment content at BBC Worldwide, remarked: “We’re hugely excited about this show and its potential to follow other successful British TV formats onto an international stage. With an iconic character from one of our biggest global brands already on board, we know audiences everywhere will be curious to see what’s under the bonnet of The Getaway Car.”

O’Leary said: “This is a show that's really about relationships. We all think we are great drivers, but what tickled me most is seeing how people, who obviously love each other very much, speak to each other when they are behind the wheel of a car. It brings out the worst in all of us…but in a fun way. It's a warm show that will stretch a family’s patience with those they love most in the world. I had a whale of a time doing the pilot and now can't wait to make the series.”