The Stig is one of the main characters in the popular BBC Top Gear program. He is engaged in high-speed testing of cars on a special track. This character's face is always hidden by a racing helmet.
The Stig's identity
The identity of the Stig, as conceived by the creators of the program, is kept secret. In all Top Gear episodes, he appears in racing gear and a closed helmet and says nothing but sketchy lines. When asked about the Stig's personality, the TV show hosts jokingly claim that he is just a robot.
In Top Gear, Stig plays the role of a mysterious "tamed racer". However, in the credits, he is mentioned along with the main hosts: Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond.
The Stig is speed testing cars on the track in Dunsfold Park. The test results are shown in a special board. Sometimes the Stig is assigned to train invited celebrities on the track: an actor, musicians or politicians. After the preparation, the celebrities pass the test circle, and their results are also entered into a special scoreboard.
Occasionally, the vehicle owner is the test racer in Top Gear. The Formula 1 car belonging to the Renault team was tested by Finnish racer Heikki Kovalainen. Michael Schumacher, a seven-time Formula 1 World Champion, introduced himself as Stig on June 21, 2009, although he was credited as a guest star. According to official data, the famous racer participated only in the test of the black Ferrari FXX as the owner of the car.
Character creation and history
Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson and TV show producer Andy Wilman came up with the idea for the mystery racer. At the private school Repton, which Clarkson attended, the nickname "The Stig" was given to all newcomers. The Stig's personality was decided to be mysterious and laconic after it became clear that many professional racers do not know how to play for the camera and even just speak well in the frame.
Since the beginning of the show, three Stigs have taken part in it. The first Stig to wear black gear and a black helmet took part in the first two seasons. This role was played by British race car driver Perry McCarthy. The first Stig in the scenario crashed while testing the Jaguar XJ-S, while the performer was not injured.
The second and third riders wore white uniforms. The second Stig starred on Top Gear from seasons three to fifteen. The role was played by Ben Collins, with whom Top Gear canceled in 2010 following his attempt to release Stig's autobiography, The Man in the White Suit.
The third Stig began work in December 2010 and is still starring in the show. His identity is still kept secret.
