Top Gear: BBC slam reports Chris Evans reduced producer to tears as ‘completely untrue’

Reports that Chris Evans reduced a Radio Two producer to tears after struggling to juggle his breakfast show with Top Gear have been slammed as “completely untrue”.

The BBC defended Evans after it was claimed in The Sun that his ego is “out of control” and he is more volatile than Top Gear's former presenter Jeremy Clarkson.

In a joint statement Radio 2's Bob Shennan and BBC director of studios Mark Linsey said: “The assertion that Chris Evans' behaviour at Radio 2 since beginning work at Top Gear has been in any way below BBC acceptable levels is completely untrue.

"Since taking on Top Gear alongside his Radio 2 breakfast show, Chris has displayed even greater commitment and professionalism. He remains a team player, a huge asset to the BBC and continues to show outstanding leadership in all he does on Radio, Television or for Children in Need."

Shennan and Linsey defended Evans after a BBC source allegedly told The Sun: “Chris’s ego is out of control and he’s behaving far worse than Clarkson ever did — which is the opposite of what the Top Gear change was meant to create.

“The Radio 2 show is the country’s most popular. But Chris is turning up exhausted and miserable and his staff have noticed a huge difference. Top Gear’s a full-time job, but Radio 2 involves waking at dawn every day. It’s pro- bably no surprise he seems close to breaking point.”

The claims come weeks after it was reported that there are tensions between Evans and his Top Gear co-host Matt LeBlanc.

The Friends actor laughed off reports that their relationship was “deteriorating” following LeBlanc’s controversial Cenotaph stunt which Evans reportedly feared had damaged the brand.

LeBlanc denied the reports on Twitter, posting: “I'm at war with @achrisevans? That's funny, I thought we were pals.”

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