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Jodie Kidd fuels Top Gear hosting rumours as she drops major hint over show comeback - more than a decade after turning down presenting role

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Conway, J. (2026, September 23). Jodie Kidd fuels Top Gear hosting rumours as she drops major hint over show comeback - more than a decade after turning down presenting role. Daily Mail. https://www.dailymail.com/tvshowbiz/article-16148263/Jodie-Kidd-fuels-Gear-hosting-rumours-drops-major-hint-comeback-decade-turning-presenting-role.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490

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Daily Mail · collected 2026-09-23 · by Juliet Conway

Quick Summary

Jodie Kidd has reignited speculation about joining the revived BBC show Top Gear after previously turning down a presenting role over a decade ago. In an interview with the Daily Mail, Kidd expressed enthusiasm for the show's return and hinted at her potential involvement, emphasizing her passion for cars despite admitting she cannot change a carburetor. The article revisits the history of Top Gear, including the departure of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May in 2015, and the subsequent launch of their rival series The Grand Tour on Amazon Prime.
Written by AI on 2026-09-23, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Jodie Kidd, a 47-year-old supermodel and racing enthusiast, has reignited rumors about potentially joining Top Gear, more than a decade after she declined an opportunity to present alongside Chris Evans. In a recent interview with the Daily Mail, Kidd expressed her admiration for the show, stating that it is "something we need" and deserves to return to television following its near four-year hiatus. She was previously considered as a replacement for Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May in 2015 but opted out at the time due to personal reasons involving her then-four-year-old son Indio. Kidd has since carved out a career in motoring programs, including presenting Channel 5's The Classic Car Show and hosting her own YouTube series called "Kidd in a Sweet Shop."

Written for “Top Gear Hosting Rumors” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Top Gear Hosting Rumors
Entertainment · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

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How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
37
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
14%
5 of 37 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
68/100
Daily Mail's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
Entertainment
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-09-23 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Daily Mail · 8501 article(s) · 20 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 20 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Juliet Conway
3 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 Rose's brother-in-law William Wills, who is married to her younger sister, Portia, also provided funding.
🔮 'He couldn't straighten, he couldn't hook his head up.' He added: 'Then it also comes with dietary problems, so bowel problems.
🔮 - See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Jodie Kidd has fuelled rumours she could be heading to Top Gear after dropping a major hint about joining the revived BBC series.
Also by Juliet Conway
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

Topics

BBC Daily Mail Top Gear Vogue the Daily Mail

Subjects

Jodie PERSON · 9× BBC ORG · 5× Jeremy PERSON · 3× Jeremy Clarkson PERSON · 3× Top Gear ORG · 3× Chris Evans PERSON · 2× James May PERSON · 2× Jodie Kidd PERSON · 2× Richard PERSON · 2× Richard Hammond PERSON · 2×

Narrative

Jodie has also raced for Maserati and carved out a career presenting motoring programmes, including Channel 5's The Classic Car Show Jodie posed with Azzi Glasser at the Ginny Litscher Catwalk Show Jodie has also raced for Maserati and carved out a career presenting motoring programmes, including Channel 5's The Classic Car Show. She now fronts her own YouTube series, Kidd in a Sweet Shop, which sees her get behind the wheel of an array of extraordinary cars.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-23
🔮 - See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Jodie Kidd has fuelled rumours she could be heading to Top Gear after dropping a major hint about joining the revived BBC series.

Claims (37 extracted, 5 hedged)

- See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Jodie Kidd has fuelled rumours she could be heading to Top Gear after dropping a major hint about joining the revived BBC series. uncertain
she → see → series
The supermodel and racing fanatic, 47, has been touted as a possible presenter after the broadcaster confirmed last month that its flagship motoring programme will return following a near four-year hiatus. asserted
programme → tout → hiatus
And more than a decade after she turned down the chance to join Top Gear alongside Chris Evans, Jodie has now teased she could finally be ready to get behind the wheel. uncertain
she → turn → wheel
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, Jodie said: 'Top Gear is such an amazing show. asserted
Gear → speak → Mail
It was so loved and so adored, and it's something that we need. asserted
we → love → that
It deserves to come back. asserted
It → deserve → ?
We're really missing, on terrestrial TV, a good, wonderful car show.' asserted
We → miss → show
The former Vogue cover star, who made her name in the '90s alongside Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, was in talks about joining Top Gear in 2015, following the departure of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May. But she ultimately ruled herself out of the running, saying at the time – when her son, Indio, was four – that taking on the high-profile job would be 'completely all-consuming' and would 'take over your soul'. uncertain
taking → make → soul
Jodie Kidd has fuelled rumours she could be heading to Top Gear after dropping a major hint about joining the revived BBC series Now, the glamorous petrolhead appears far more open to the prospect this time around. uncertain
petrolhead → fuel → prospect
She said: 'I'm a good translator. asserted
I → say → ?
I love cars. asserted
I → love → cars
Can I change a carburetor [a device in older engines that helps the engine run]? asserted
engine → change → engines
But I definitely bring the passion... asserted
I → bring → passion
We'll see. asserted
We → see → ?
We'll see what happens.' asserted
what → see → ?
The model added: 'I know there's a ginormous appetite for people that love cars. asserted
that → add → cars
Top Gear is really missing. asserted
Gear → miss → ?
That space needs to be filled.' asserted
space → need → ?
Acknowledging the challenges Top Gear has faced in recent years, Jodie said: 'It's just been a complicated one in the past, with the boys leaving and the terrible thing that happened with Freddie [Flintoff]. asserted
that → acknowledge → Freddie
So it's complicated, but really needed. asserted
it → need → ?
I miss it terribly and I love the show.' asserted
I → miss → show
Jeremy, Richard and James left Top Gear in 2015 after the BBC declined to renew Jeremy's contract following a physical and verbal attack on producer Oisin Tymon during a row over catering at a hotel. asserted
BBC → leave → hotel
Richard and James followed him out, with the trio later launching The Grand Tour on Amazon Prime in 2016, which they fronted until their final special in 2024. asserted
they → follow → 2024
Top Gear was later relaunched with a succession of hosts, including Chris Evans and Friends star Matt LeBlanc, before Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff joined Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris in 2019. asserted
Flintoff → relaunche → 2019
James May, Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond (L-R) left Top Gear in 2015 after the BBC declined to renew Jeremy's contract following a physical and verbal attack on producer Oisin Tymon Jodie is seen in Imola in 2004, where she obtained her international racing license The programme has been off air since December 2022, when Freddie was seriously injured in a crash while filming at its Dunsfold Aerodrome test track in Surrey. uncertain
Freddie → leave → Surrey
The former England cricketer suffered facial and rib injuries when the open-topped Morgan Super three he was driving overturned and slid along the track. asserted
he → suffer → track
But the BBC confirmed last month that Top Gear would finally return to screens. asserted
Gear → confirm → screens
A host of names have been linked to the presenting line-up, including Jodie, comedian Jimmy Carr and former England rugby star Joe Marler. asserted
host → link → Jodie
Jodie has plenty of motoring credentials. asserted
Jodie → have → credentials
The catwalk star has been obsessed with cars for years and famously appeared on Top Gear as the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car in 2003. asserted
star → obsess → 2003
She impressed Jeremy Clarkson with her lap in the show's Suzuki Liana and later went on to gain a racing licence and compete in motorsport. asserted
She → impress → motorsport
Jodie has also raced for Maserati and carved out a career presenting motoring programmes, including Channel 5's The Classic Car Show Jodie posed with Azzi Glasser at the Ginny Litscher Catwalk Show Jodie has also raced for Maserati and carved out a career presenting motoring programmes, including Channel 5's The Classic Car Show. She now fronts her own YouTube series, Kidd in a Sweet Shop, which sees her get behind the wheel of an array of extraordinary cars. asserted
her → race → cars
And Jodie revealed that her time racing has even helped her overcome the anxiety she still suffers when stepping onto the catwalk. asserted
she → reveal → catwalk
She stepped away from modelling in her late teens after suffering a severe panic attack during a show, later revealing that anxiety had plagued her throughout her early career. asserted
anxiety → step → career
But speaking to the Daily Mail backstage before walking in Ginny Litscher's London Fashion Week show, in collaboration with the launch of Per-Fume Discovery sets by The Perfumer's Story by Azzi, she said: 'It [the anxiety] is always there, but I think after learning to race cars, I've had to learn to turn anxiety and adrenaline into something positive. asserted
I → speak → something
And I think that's definitely come with age - and understanding what your body's doing when it's flooded with adrenaline. asserted
it → think → adrenaline
That's something I've learned to deal with.' asserted
I → learn → ?
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