Inside TV’s biggest mystery as Top Gear’s The Stig is ‘unmasked’

Many have tried to unmask The Stig (Picture: PA) The Stig is one of the BBC’s most iconic characters of all time. The mute motorist in the all-white boiler suit was charged by the Top Gear trio with setting lap times and racing across the world. Yet the identity of this wonderful wheelman was a mystery for decades. However, in July 2026 one of the men (more on this later) behind the carbon fibre visor has outed himself to sue the BBC. Paul Rees alleges that the BBC failed to treat his injuries properly after being involved in the accident that nearly killed Freddie Flintoff. Yet Rees wasn’t the only person to don The Stig’s driving gloves. Others got behind the wheel over the years. So who really played The Stig? Well, we’ve done some digging to get to the bottom of one of TV’s biggest mysteries. The Stig is an iconic part of Top Gear lore (Picture: PA) Who is The Stig? The Stig is a fictional character from the BBC motoring show Top Gear created by Jeremy Clarkson and producer Andy Wilman. Known as the series ‘tame racing driver,’ the mute character is famous for his anonymity, wearing a full-face helmet and white overalls which completely obscure their identity. He appears whenever the Top Gear crew need a more professional person behind the wheel of a car. The Stig’s primary duties were setting lap times for the cars tested on the show, helping guests with the ‘Star in a Reasonably Priced Car’ segment and occasionally taking part in racing challenges. The Stig became known for his outlandish behaviour (Picture: BBC) Who played The Stig? Several racing drivers have played The Stig over the years; however, the last person to wear the overalls was the British racing driver Paul Rees. Rees played the character from 2019 to 2022 until Top Gear was placed on indefinite hiatus after a near-fatal crash involving presenter Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff. Paul Rees played The Stig and is suing the BBC (Picture: Porsche AG / Hoch Zwei) Why is The Stig suing the BBC? Rees is suing the BBC for up to £150,000 related to personal injuries he received during Flintoff’s crash. He alleges that the medic on site immediately told him he was ‘not equipped’ for the crash and that, as a result of the rush to treat Flintoff, he did not receive medical treatment for his injuries until much later in the day. He was sent to hospital on a spinal board, but later discovered he had broken his back. A BBC Studios spokesperson denied these claims to Metro. ‘We dispute this claim and are defending it,’ the BBC said in a statement. ‘As it’s now before the courts, it would be inappropriate to comment further.’ The BBC denies it was negligent (Picture: PA) In its legal response, the organisation denied it was negligent ‘as alleged or at all’ and is denying Rees’ compensation appeals. Metro understands that the BBC believes it provided Paul with comprehensive medical and welfare support following the accident. BBC Studios also claims his ‘faulty instructions’ is what led to the accident, as he was the designated professional that day. Paul denies the BBC’s claims, instead claiming the BBC bosses summoned him to London in an attempt to throw him under the bus following the crash. ‘I expected an arm to be put around me, and it wasn’t whatsoever,’ Paul said. ‘I said to her, “How are you pinning this on me?”. ‘She’s like, “Well, you were the pro driver sat next to him. We’re not pinning it on you as such, but you probably need to get a good lawyer.” ‘It felt like the accident just happened over again, like I was being thrown under the bus.’ Perry McCarthy was the first Stig, known as the Black Stig (Picture: Pal David Drabble/Famous) Has there been more than one Stig? Several drivers are alleged to have played The Stig over the years, although only four people have ever been ‘officially’ named as playing the character aside from Rees. Perry McCarthy was the first Stig, known as the Black Stig. He played the character from 2002 until 2003, when The Black Stig was killed off after McCarthy admitted he was the man behind the helmet in his autobiography. The second Stig, or the First White Stig, was played by Ben Collins from 2003 until 2010. Collins left the role after a legal dispute with the BBC over the release of his autobiography, The Man in the White Suit. Ben Collins was the second Stig (Picture: PA) The BBC took him to court to block publication, arguing it would ruin the show’s secret. The High Court ruled in Collins’ favour, allowing the book to be published. During Top Gear series 13, in a highly publicised event, the racing driver Michael Schumacher was also revealed to be The Stig, although this was a one-off promotional stunt. After Collins left the show, he introduced the Second White Stig, who was found as a baby in Bethlehem. This version of The Stig worked on the show until 2022 and was revealed to be Phil Keen by Wilman in his book Mr Wilman’s Motoring Adventure. Deals of the Day Wuka launches the UK’s first period-proof swimwear for heavy flows Bridgerton fans are rushing to buy these new Netflix-inspired perfumes now £12 off The affordable summer wardrobe update you'll wear from rooftop drinks to beach holidays The £7.99 lip balm beauty fans love for glossy, hydrated lips just dropped four new shades This Keskine hydrogel mask could fix your summer skin While these names are the only ‘official’ Stigs, several other names from the motoring world have been linked to the character, including the musician Jay Kay, Damon Hill, Julian Bailey, Russ Swift, and Darren Turner. Arrow MORE: Who’s in the Strictly 2026 line-up? 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