Matt LeBlanc leaving Top Gear on BBC Two after four seasons

After getting a chance to engage in all sorts of driving experiments, Matt LeBlanc is officially leaving Top Gear behind — the upcoming 26th season of the BBC Two / BBC America series will be his last. LeBlanc has been a part of the show for the past four years, and has co-hosted alongside Chris Harris and Rory Reid. He has helped to usher in a new generation of the series, and we do think that his past work on both Friends and Episodes allowed him a chance to bring some new viewers into the show.

In a statement, LeBlanc explained his exit by saying that it was motivated in part by a desire to spend more time at home with his family:

“My experience on Top Gear has been great fun. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the whole team. However, the time commitment and extensive travel required to present Top Gear takes me away from my family and friends more than I’m comfortable with. It’s unfortunate, but for these reasons I will not be continuing my involvement with the show. I will forever be a Top Gear fan and I wish the team continued success. Thanks for a great drive.”

Remember, LeBlanc also has another job over on CBS in Man with a Plan, which was recently renewed for a third season. If that show wasn’t picked up, there may have been a little more time in his schedule.

To go along with this statement, BBC Two controller Patrick Holland added the following:

“I want to thank the fabulous Matt LeBlanc for being a brilliant co-host on Top Gear. Matt has thrown himself into the show with real passion, revealing his extraordinary car knowledge and a willingness to get down and dirty. We were always going to be borrowing him from his day job as one of the top comic actors in Hollywood so I wish him all the very best.”

Holland also noted that there are plans to continue the series, so you can expect a new host to be coming up at some point in the future.

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