{"id":2143147,"date":"2025-11-08T17:38:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-08T17:38:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2143147"},"modified":"2025-11-08T17:38:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-08T17:38:09","slug":"top-gear-host-quentin-willson-dies-aged-68","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/top-gear-host-quentin-willson-dies-aged-68\/","title":{"rendered":"Top Gear host Quentin Willson dies aged 68"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/finance\/personalfinance\/fameandfortune\/8759136\/Quentin-Willson-I-never-pay-a-quoted-price-from-a-hotel-thats-for-muppets.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Quentin Willson;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">Quentin Willson<\/a>, the former Top Gear and Fifth Gear television presenter, has died aged 68 following a short battle with lung cancer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2025\/01\/14\/motorists-shouldnt-pay-the-price-for-government-inaction-on\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Willson;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">Willson<\/a> co-hosted the original version of Top Gear with <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2025\/07\/24\/show-off-jeremy-clarkson-former-top-gear-host\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Jeremy Clarkson;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">Jeremy Clarkson<\/a> from 1991 and, after the format was cancelled in 2001, left the BBC to present Channel 5\u2019s rival motoring programme Fifth Gear.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In a statement, Willson\u2019s publicist confirmed the motoring journalist had \u201cpassed away peacefully surrounded by his family\u201d on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">His family described Willson as a \u201ctrue national treasure\u201d, who \u201cbrought the joy of motoring, from combustion to electric, into our living rooms\u201d.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>His family said that Quentin Willson \u2018brought the joy of motoring, from combustion to electric, into our living rooms\u2019 &#8211; John Green<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">It added: \u201cHe helped shape the original Top Gear as one of its first hosts, working alongside Jeremy Clarkson and the team who took the pioneering show global. He went on to front Fifth Gear and still holds the dubious honour of Strictly Come Dancing\u2019s lowest score in history.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In recent years, Willson had also been a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2024\/09\/30\/quentin-willson-top-gear-congestion-charge-sadiq-khan-ev\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:champion of EVs;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">champion of EVs<\/a> as part of his FairCharge campaign, which they said \u201csaved UK consumers a fortune by helping to freeze fuel duty\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cOver \u00a3100bn in fresh taxation was prevented by the campaign, a real consumer win by a true consumer champion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Top Gear first launched on the BBC in 1977, with Willson offering his expertise as the used-car expert from 1991.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Amid bad ratings after Clarkson left the show in 1999, the BBC cancelled the long-running motoring show before it was revived in 2002, with Clarkson and Richard Hamond as hosts, before James May rejoined in 2003.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Despite a revised line-up after Clarkson, May and Hammond departed in 2015, the show was not renewed after a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2025\/09\/22\/car-not-to-blame-for-freddie-flintoffs-top-gear-crash\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:high-speed crash;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">high-speed crash<\/a> almost killed cricketer turned presenter Andrew \u201cFreddie\u201d Flintoff.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Quentin Willson presented Top Gear for a decade\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"606\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/hjro9A8y4CNOxbZvntv6Vw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTYwNjtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/the_telegraph_258\/a47eca4fbe6d9c31f54bdcc56562820a\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Quentin Willson presented Top Gear for a decade &#8211; Ian Derry<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Earlier this year, Willson said television bosses would never commission a show like Top Gear again, mostly because of safety concerns.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cWe were very lucky to have lived through this wonderful golden age of cars and car programmes because you couldn\u2019t make them now,\u201d he told Metro.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cIt wouldn\u2019t get screened, and people aren\u2019t as interested\u2026 or television commissioners aren\u2019t as interested in cars as they were then. It was a lovely time to make a TV programme about cars at a time when cars were much more socially acceptable than now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Willson is survived by his wife Michaela, children, Mercedes, Max and Mini and three grandchildren, Saskia, Xander and Roxana.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The statement on behalf of the family read: \u201cWhile messages of condolence are warmly appreciated, the family asks that their privacy be respected at this difficult time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cFuneral arrangements will be announced in due course.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cThe void he has left can never be filled. His knowledge was not just learned but lived; a library of experience now beyond our reach.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/customer\/subscribe\/01doysa\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><b>Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Quentin Willson, the former Top Gear and Fifth Gear television presenter, has died aged 68 following a short battle with lung cancer. Willson co-hosted the original version of Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson from 1991 and, after the format was cancelled in 2001, left the BBC to present Channel 5\u2019s rival motoring programme Fifth Gear. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2143148,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[409161,83843,409162,409160,347557],"class_list":["post-2143147","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-fifth-gear","tag-jeremy-clarkson","tag-motoring-journalist","tag-quentin-willson","tag-top-gear"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Top-Gear-host-Quentin-Willson-dies-aged-68.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2143147","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2143147"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2143147\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2143149,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2143147\/revisions\/2143149"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2143148"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2143147"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2143147"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2143147"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}