http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/795452...-anonymity.html

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a26456...-over-book.html

Well, at least this will put the idea that it was MSC to bed.

It's a great publicity move that serves to sell more copies of the book.

Schumi was the Stig once.

As an alternative to risking his reputation doing a lap in the reasonably priced car...

Surely everyone knows its Ben Collins anyway? This rather harsh line was included in the Telegraph article:

'A photograph of Mr Collins, who comes from Bristol, reveals a cheerful-looking gentleman with a terrible haircut.' Ouch!

I've always believed that drivers names kept getting thrown out just to keep the mystery up.

"Some say that he wears a barrister's wig under his helmet and that he is allowed to practice law in 132 countries"

Is his book going to be called..."I am the Stig"

yeah I sniggered at that. Well written piece, quite amusing.

Everyone has known it was Ben Collins for ages. There are also a couple of other names that do it from time to time. You can see it in the change of driving style. Does it really matter?

It does to the BBC apparantly.

No it doesn't; as I said, there's a book coming out - the more publicity, the more it sells.

The Stig can't speak or write so I doubt it would be too revealing anyway

Its not a BBC book is it?

Why cant the book be written anonymously as well ? I mean with fake names and all... that would be fun

It's a Top Gear related book. It's getting column inches in newspapers. Forgive me for being a cynic, but they would simply sack him and employ AN Other if they were realy bothered. As they did once before.

Oh, I thought you had factual information, but it is just your view that this is the BBC doing Stig a favour by creating a little storm over his book?

And according to the sources, they are thinking of sacking him. Or can you see into the future as well?

I work in the media and can spot a PR campaign a mile off. I didn't mean to offend you - sorry if I did - just pointing out what is, to me, utterly obvious. You must admit that there is absolutely no reason for this to have made the newspapers, surely? If the BBC are so incensed and don't want 'The Stig' to sell any books they could simply have issued a statement saying 'The Stig is Ben Collins' and defused the situation. Instead, everyone's happy that we're writing about an upcoming book.

No probs, thanks for clarrifying. I was going to ask if you were in the media. Though I'm surprised the likes of the Daily Mail have fallen for it if this is the case, as they would love to catch the BBC out in a blatant lie.

For me though, if it is a plan to make money for the BBC and the Stig, they would have been better off promoting it during the show, building up to a big reveal in the book at the end of the season....you know "This is the last season we will see the stig, and soon his story will be told"...a few weeks of that on top gear and I'm sure the sales would go through the roof.

Just seems an odd way for the BBC to promote something. Especially as Top Gear has been in its sights for some time now, with budjet cuts and I'm sure a core of people at the PC BBC who would love to get rid of Clarkson.

Difficult to axe Top Gear when it's making good money for the BBC, by being sold internationally and all the spin off merchandise etc.

"Some say he actually meant his apology to Rubens Barrichello..."

The Mail have a history of falling for crap like this. As do most of the press, to be honest. Add to that the fact that it's August - AKA the silly season - when most journos with any sort of brain are sitting in their villas in Provence or Chiantishire and the nationals are being run by three trainees and a dog. Witness the "giant rat" story - as soon as I saw a picture of the thing I could see it was a coypu!

Believe it or not, the BBC have rules about book promotion: it's technically "product placement", so Top Gear would be on very dodgy ground if they tried something like that. Added to that, if the book - as seems obvious - isn't being published by BBC Worldwide, why would they bother?

In fact, as far as I can see, it isn't even a glimmer of a book yet - the reports suggest it's no more than an outline, so maybe some junior employee at a literary agency has just paid for his or her holiday by (allegedly) tipping the press off about it. And got paid by the PR company into the bargain ... it's amazing what stories you can start over a drink or three at Groucho's.

His only form of communication is driving

The anonymity of the Stig was vaguely amusing for about 10 minutes in 2002, the BBC was told last night.

It's definitely a PR move, but I'm not sure who's controlling it at the moment. I think initially the Collins camp floated the idea of the book perhaps to renogiate the contract with the BBC? Though erally, who's going to read a Ben Collins memoir.

Then when he was 'exposed', I think that may have been a tip-off. Possibly by the BBC? Because I can't see what Collins gains from it now that his identity is out, since he can no longer be The Stig.

I reckon there won't be one anymore, they'll just do it on a more expanded freelancer basis.

Don't you guys think this has gone a little too far for a PR game?

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a26655...r-stig-row.html

"The case has reportedly reached the High Court but has been adjourned "by consent" until next week."

Did anyone really believe Michael Schumacher was really the stig? Come on..

I know I know, but I am constantly amazed at the amount of people I see on line who DID/DO believe it.

For me there has to be some logic. They will have a regular "Stig" (Ben) to do the hum drum driving, but when some company sends a prototype or some other car costing them millions, they would probably send their own test drivers. Thats how I would do it anyway.

But you know, some people believe what the square bit of glowing furniture tells them to believe.

I thought it may have been a bit of PR nonsense at first, but unlicensed use of intellectual property is a pretty serious business, no wonder the BBC is prepared to go to court over it.

A book by Ben Collins might sell one thousand copies.

A book by BBC Top Gear's The Stig might sell one hundred thousand. Worth the risk of an unlicensed publication?

Having just renewed my TV licence, can I say that I begrudge the BBC using my money for expensive but frivolous lawsuits against their employees?

We all know Ben is the Stig. Let him write his book, & the BBC can fire him if they must. But stop farting around making the lawyers richer. They should grow up, the lot of them.

lol... The BBC do a lot worse things with your money than a tiny little lawsuit regarding Ben Collins (who everyone has known was the 'regular' Stig for years now). The BBC is commonly aggressive, extremely bias, mis-leading, and very wasteful. This is just a tiny thing for them! They don't answer to anyone either through being a real business or a 'democratic' institution. Thank god the net is making the whole organisation redundant.

Indeed. Probably the same people who believe the word 'gullible' is being removed from the 2011 edition of the Oxford English Dictionary..

*sponsored by News Corp.


Is that to save on printing costs?
I used to be gullible, until Santa warned me that gullible people don't get Christmas presents...

dont they? :/

Ben Collins:

Wow
Are you familiar with the alternatives to the beeb?

This is not a thread about the BBC licence fee.

No it's

Slightly off topic, but has anyone else noticed the Stig-a-like in the latest 118 advert ?

Lies



Conclusive evidence

+



=

LMAO Slartifast, best tenuous link ever on here

Bwaahahahahahaa

Brillaint! A post full of win there, Slarti.

There is no credible evidence that Ben Collins is the Stig, newspapers are not a credible source.

His identity is still a mystery, the Ben Collins thing is pure speculation

A year or so ago, the Top Gear team entered the Silverstone Six Hours race in a BMW. The three presenters drove, plus a fourth driver, the Stig.

But on the entry and results lists for the event, it clearly listed Ben Collins as the fourth driver.

Some say he has hypnotized people into believing he is Ben Collins...

Aren't you thinking of the Britcar 24 hour race? There were at least five drivers who qualified that car...

Quality Slarti