Who needs Clarkson? The hilarious Top Gear audition videos after Chris Evans said anyone can apply to be his co-hosts

  • Anyone can apply to be a co-host on the new Top Gear, Chris Evans said
  • Odd auditions on YouTube include a man saying he likes urinating on cars 
  • Another wannabe appears in a green blazer, polka dot shirt & yellow chinos
  • Female ex-Navy engineer says she'd be better than Jeremy Clarkson as she wouldn't 'punch people in the face'

When Chris Evans was announced as the new Top Gear host, he revealed that anyone with a passion for cars was welcome to apply to join him as a presenter on the show.

But he may well be living to regret that now, with dozens of bizarre audition videos posted on YouTube by motoring enthusiasts across Britain.

While some applicants seem to genuinely want the job, others seem to be taking the process less seriously - with one woman saying she would be better than Jeremy Clarkson because she wouldn't 'punch people in the face', while another petrolhead professes his love for urinating on cars.

Scroll down for the auditions 

'Colourful': Alex Manner appears in a green blazer, polka dot shirt and yellow chinos in his Top Gear audition

'Colourful': Alex Manner appears in a green blazer, polka dot shirt and yellow chinos in his Top Gear audition

Bizarre: Another wannabe Clarkson, called Carl, spends 21 seconds turning slowly towards the camera and says he loves boats in his video

First female host? TV presenter Nicola Kelleher could be in with a shot of joining Chris Evans on the show

First female host? TV presenter Nicola Kelleher could be in with a shot of joining Chris Evans on the show

When Top Gear was revamped by Clarkson and producer Andy Wilman in 2002, Richard Hammond - then a virtually unheard of local radio DJ - submitted a 'terrible' review of a car while dressed as Batman.

Despite his unusual approach, Clarkson took a shine to the 'Hamster' and brought him aboard. Fellow former co-host James May also recorded a video which eventually landed him the job.

Their success appears to have fuelled the flurry of videos, with the BBC setting up a dedicated site for applications.

Scores of the auditions have also found their way onto YouTube - and some are better than others.

One man who wants to fill Hammond or May's shoes is Alex Manners, who appears in his video wearing a green blazer, polka dot shirt and yellow chinos.

Mr Manners claims Evans will not find anyone 'funner, quirkier or more colourful' than he is. The latter may well be true.

Chris Evans said anyone could apply to be a co-host on Top Gear as long as they have a passion for cars

Chris Evans said anyone could apply to be a co-host on Top Gear as long as they have a passion for cars

Finishing with a flourish: Quirky Mr Manners ends his audition with a twirl as he applied to join Evans on the revamped motoring programme

Finishing with a flourish: Quirky Mr Manners ends his audition with a twirl as he applied to join Evans on the revamped motoring programme

Has it got a leak? Carl confesses to urinating on cars but also says he knows how to fix engines

Has it got a leak? Carl confesses to urinating on cars but also says he knows how to fix engines

He does appear to have knowledge of cars, however, boasting of his two Triumph Heralds, which are painted pink and orange respectively.

Finishing with a flourish, Mr Manners points at the camera and twirls, adding: 'Chris, I'll see you on the show soon.'

Other hilarious videos include one from a man called Carl, who says he loves boats and urinating on cars.

The BBC asked for 30-second videos to be sent in, but Carl throws this rule out of the window, spending the first 21 seconds turning slowly towards the camera with a strange expression on his face.

One of Top Gear's most popular segments is its Star in a Reasonably Priced Car, which sees celebrities attempt to drive around the show's track in a family car as quickly as possible.

Carl, posing with a cardboard cutout of Justin Bieber, claims he would be well-suited to this, saying: 'I like famous people, and I don't punch them, no matter how much I want to.'

Graeme Potter (left) said he deserved the job because he owns a Ferrari flag, while Laura Powne (right) promised not to punch anyone in the face

In a call-back to Clarkson's controversial career, a YouTube user called The Dabby Peace Show starts his video by correcting his camera's angle because it has 'a slope on it'

Odd: BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Rory Reid said if Clarkson and actor Idris Elba had a love-child, it would be him

Odd: BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Rory Reid said if Clarkson and actor Idris Elba had a love-child, it would be him

Women have sent in applications too, including one from Laura Powne, a former Royal Navy engineer who says she would be better than Clarkson because she wouldn't 'punch people in the face'.

Her other credentials include winning every go-kart race she has ever taken part in.

In another call-back to Clarkson's controversial career, a YouTube user called The Dabby Peace Show starts his video by correcting his camera's angle because it has 'a slope on it'.

A similar reference by Clarkson on a Top Gear special in Burma - apparently referring to a local man crossing a crooked bridge - breached Ofcom rules.

Apparently believing he cannot talk about cars during the audition, he explains how to eat a Dairylea Dunker, throws an out-of-date steak on the floor and jokingly threatens to 'kill all of your family'.

Graeme Potter's video shows him striking a Clarkson-esque pose as he says he should be made a Top Gear host because he is 'pretty handsome' and owns a Ferrari flag. 

More serious auditions include one from TV presenter Nicola Kelleher, from London, who says she has higher heels than Hammond and better hair than James May.

Motoring journalist Rory Reid, who presents a show on BBC Radio 5 Live, also puts in a credible effort, saying if Clarkson and actor Idris Elba had a love-child it would be him.

Speaking on the BBC's One Show after he was hired as Clarkson's replacement, Evans said anyone 'with a real appetite for cars' was welcome to apply, regardless of whether they were famous.

He added: 'You've got to know something about cars - you can be a mechanic, you can be an amateur racing driver, you can be a guy who's a fireman but has been building his own Land Rover in his shed for five or 10 years... but you've got to know about cars.'

 

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