The Stig

The Stig is a character in the British motoring television show Top Gear. The character plays on the anonymity of racing drivers' full-face helmets, with the running joke that nobody knows who, or indeed what, is inside the character's racing suit. The character was the creation of presenter Jeremy Clarkson and the show's producer Andy Wilman. "Stig" was a nickname for new boys at their old school, Repton. Although there is one "main" Stig, there are several "spin-off" Stigs, referred to by the presenters as "The Stig's cousin."

The Stig is responsible for setting lap times for cars tested on the show, as well as instructing celebrity guests in the show's Star in a Reasonably Priced Car section. (see "Role" below) There have currently been three Stigs—the first Stig started on episode 1, but was killed off in the first episode of series 3. The second Stig appeared in the next episode, and lasted until series 15. The third Stig took over from December 2010.

The identity of The Stig is a closely guarded secret. The BBC does not comment on it directly and efforts to conceal the true identity have included jokes such as having seven-time world champion F1 driver Michael Schumacher dress up and pretend to be the character (Season 13, Episode 1). The identity of the original 'Black' Stig, Perry McCarthy, was exposed by a Sunday newspaper after the first series of the show, in January 2003. McCarthy confirmed that he was 'The Stig' in the second edition of his autobiography Flat Out, Flat Broke: Formula 1 the Hard Way!, published following series two, and is now generally acknowledged as having been the first Stig, even by BBC media. A second Stig's identity was revealed in another autobiography called The Man in The White Suit, as Ben Collins, a professional racing driver who has participated in Formula Three, Indy Lights, sportscars, GT racing, stock cars & V8 Supercars.