LONDON: Former “Friends” star Matt LeBlanc will be joining the BBC’s popular “Top Gear” program, presenting the revamped car show with Chris Evans, the British broadcaster said Thursday.
LeBlanc, who starred as Joey Tribbiani on the NBC sitcom “Friends,” is the first non-British actor to host the BBC show in its 39-year history.
One of the globe’s most popular programs, “Top Gear” has won a huge following with its mix of car tips, driving stunts and jokey banter.
“As a car nut and a massive fan of Top Gear, I’m honored and excited to be a part of this iconic show’s new chapter,” LeBlanc said. “What a thrill!“
The show’s revamp became necessary after former host Jeremy Clarkson left the program amid a scandal. Clarkson was fired after he punched a producer during an off-set altercation. The two other hosts also left.
The altercation threatened the show itself, as Clarkson’s brash persona was a large part of the program’s appeal to fans. A self-styled enemy of political correctness, Clarkson had repeatedly found himself in trouble with the BBC after a series of incidents, including one in which he used a racist word during the filming of a show.
LeBlanc’s addition to the show was announced as Evans tweeted an image of them together beside with the helmeted character in the program known as “The Stig.”
“Acting out our craziest car notions on screen is a dream job and I know we’ll both be debating some epic road trip ideas,” Evans said.
The current series appears in more than 50 countries and the BBC has sold the format for locally-produced versions in the US, China, Russia, Australia and South Korea.
‘Friends’ actor Matt LeBlanc to join ‘Top Gear’
‘Friends’ actor Matt LeBlanc to join ‘Top Gear’
Cambodia takes back looted historic artifacts handled by British art dealer
- The objects were returned under a 2020 agreement between the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the family of the late Douglas Latchford, a British art collector and dealer who allegedly had the items smuggled out of Cambodia
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Cambodian officials on Friday received more than six dozen historic artifacts described as part of the country’s cultural heritage that had been looted during decades of war and instability.
At a ceremony attended by Deputy Prime Minister Hun Many, the 74 items were unveiled at the National Museum in Phnom Penh after their repatriation from the United Kingdom.
The objects were returned under a 2020 agreement between the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the family of the late Douglas Latchford, a British art collector and dealer who allegedly had the items smuggled out of Cambodia.
“This substantial restitution represents one of the most important returns of Khmer cultural heritage in recent years, following major repatriations in 2021 and 2023 from the same collection,” the Culture Ministry said in a statement. “It marks a significant step forward in Cambodia’s continued efforts to recover, preserve, and restore its ancestral legacy for future generations.”
The artifacts were described as dating from the pre-Angkorian period through the height of the Angkor Empire, including “monumental sandstone sculptures, refined bronze works, and significant ritual objects.” The Angkor Empire, which extended from the ninth to the 15th century, is best known for the Angkor Wat archaeological site, the nation’s biggest tourist attraction.
Latchford was a prominent antiquities dealer who allegedly orchestrated an operation to sell looted Cambodian sculptures on the international market.
From 1970 to the 1980s, during Cambodia’s civil wars and the communist Khmer Rouge ‘s brutal reign, organized looting networks sent artifacts to Latchford, who then sold them to Western collectors, dealers, and institutions. These pieces were often physically damaged, having been pried off temple walls or other structures by the looters.
Latchford was indicted in a New York federal court in 2019 on charges including wire fraud and conspiracy. He died in 2020, aged 88, before he could be extradited to face charges.
Cambodia, like neighboring Thailand, has benefited from a trend in recent decades involving the repatriation of art and archaeological treasures. These include ancient Asian artworks as well as pieces lost or stolen during turmoil in places such as Syria, Iraq and Nazi-occupied Europe. New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the prominent institutions that has been returning illegally smuggled art, including to Cambodia.
“The ancient artifacts created and preserved by our ancestors are now being returned to Cambodia, bringing warmth and joy, following the country’s return to peace,” said Hun Many, who is the younger brother of Prime Minister Hun Manet.
