Chris Evans will replace Jeremy Clarkson as the new presenter of Top Gear. It ends months of speculation over who would fill Jeremy Clarkson's shoes after he was sacked after a 'fracas' with a producer on location. Chris, who previously insisted he was not interested , has now signed a three year deal. Co-hosts Richard Hammond and James May will not be part of the show. Chris Evans tells Steve Hewlett about how the deal was done, and how he sees the future of Top Gear, plus the Controller of BBC 2 Kim Shillinglaw on why she thinks Chris is the best choice.
Richard Desmond is the owner of the Daily Express, Daily Star and OK! Magazine. Nicknamed "Dirty Des" for the way he battles competitors, last year he sold his Channel 5 TV station to Viacom for £450 million, over four times the price he originally paid for it. In his new autobiography, The Real Deal, he portrays himself as an unhappy Jewish kid from north London who became a billionaire, developing his entrepreneurial spirit at the age of 13 while working in the cloakroom of the local pub. He set up his first magazines - International Musician and Recording World, and Home Organist - in his early 20s, and in 1983, he snapped up the licence to publish Penthouse in the UK. Steve Hewlett talks to him about his rise to media powerhouse; his portfolio, his philosophy and his position in the UK's press and TV landscape.
Producer: Katy Takatsuki.
