Saturday 11th January 2003
BBC Top Gear’s original, black-suited Stig was unmasked by the Sunday Mirror as former F1 driver Perry McCarthy. “Stig’s true identity is one of TV’s best- kept secrets,” a show insider told the newspaper. “A lot of the stars who have appeared on the show think they are great drivers, but none of them could compete with Perry. He just blew them away. It’s hilarious watching them trying to beat him.” It was not exactly a world exclusive as McCarthy had already outed himself in an autobiography a few months earlier. His replacement – the White Stig – lasted until 2009 when he too spilt the beans.
