Top Gear presenters Paddy McGuinness, Freddie Flintoff and Chris Harris have vowed to bring “a different vibe” to the BBC Two motoring show ahead of its latest series.
Speaking before the new season kicks off on June 16, the trio promised that Top Gear will “embrace all sorts of emotions” and will balance “pure car reviews” with “funny bits” and “hugs.”
“I feel as though we’re bringing a different vibe to the show, which is a positive in my eyes, with families watching it,” McGuinness said.
“Chris does his pure car reviews but there’s also funny bits… then there’s hugs and nice bits such as what we thought about Ethiopia.
“I think that’s a good thing. It just happens because that’s how we are and that’s the way the world is now.”
Discussing the new “vibe” on set, Harris, who worked with presenters Matt LeBlanc and Chris Evans on previous seasons of the long-running hit, added: “We hug each other; we didn’t hug each other before. Whenever I say goodbye to them after a day’s work, we have a hug.
“We live in a different world. The new Top Gear will embrace all sorts of emotions.”
Flintoff said that the show has “got a lot of honesty as well, in terms of talking about how you feel, what you’re doing or the car.”
New photos released ahead of the series launch show the three stars posing in front of a McLauren 600LT on the show’s dedicated test track at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey.
Flintoff and McGuinness were confirmed to join motoring journalist Harris on the show in October, shortly after former Friends star LeBlanc announced he would be stepping down from his presenting role.
A previous teaser clip showed the three men putting a modified Daimler hearse to the test on a Welsh rally course and trying out a variety of other souped-up vehicles.
Top Gear returns to BBC Two on Sunday, June 16 at 8pm.
