In my attempts to appear professional, like those who write for noospapers (stop that sniggering), I’ve written a headline so thorough that it’s almost made this article redundant. However, I’ll cling to this rare professionalism and finish my article. So, Top Gear. We were all a bit scared that the team as we know it was about to disband in a flurry of ‘I’m not getting paid enough’ and contract talks breaking down. Well, Roly Keating, that’s the controller of BBC Two, has said he is “extremely confident” that Richard Hammond and James May will sign new deals with the programme. To be honest, they have to. My sanity depends on it (I’m so fragile, I know).

Asked today at BBC Two’s autumn launch (in London, where else?) about ongoing pay negotiations with The Hamster and Capt. Slow, Keating said that there are “always limits to everything”, but he expected the show to return as usual in the autumn. “There are always limits to everything, however I’m extremely confident the Top Gear team will be there this autumn,” he said.

Let’s hope that money isn’t going to derail one of the finest shows on the box at present. It would be criminal to see these three going their separate ways over contracts.

via The Grauniad