BBC says Matt LeBlanc to leave Top Gear after next season

LeBlanc's fourth and final season as host is due for broadcast later this year

FILE - In this Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012 file photo, Matt LeBlanc arrives at the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles. The BBC says Matt LeBlanc will leave popular auto show "Top Gear" after the upcoming season. In a statement Thursday, May 31, 2018. LeBlanc said the program was "great fun," but the time and travel commitment â€œtakes me away from my family and friends more than I'm comfortable with." (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File)

The BBC says Matt LeBlanc will leave popular auto show "Top Gear" after the upcoming season. In a statement, LeBlanc said the program was "great fun," but the time and travel commitment “takes me away from my family and friends more than I'm comfortable with." Matt Sayles, File / AP photo

Associated Press

Jun 02, 2018

The BBC says former Friends star Matt LeBlanc will leave the popular British auto show Top Gear after the upcoming season.

In a statement Thursday, LeBlanc said the program was "great fun," but the time and travel commitment "takes me away from my family and friends more than I'm comfortable with."

LeBlanc's fourth and final season as host is due for broadcast later this year.

A mix of humor, stunts and automotive advice, Top Gear became a global hit under longtime presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May.

They left in 2015 after Clarkson was fired for punching a producer and now host Amazon's rival show, The Grand Tour.

LeBlanc joined in 2016 as co-host with British presenter Chris Evans, who left after one season of lackluster ratings and lukewarm reviews.

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