“My experience on Top Gear has been great fun. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the whole team,” said the former Friends star.
“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 for ever be a Top Gear fan and I wish the team continued success. Thanks for a great drive.”
Yup, there it is. After the next series of 'new' Top Gear finishes off, American Matt LeBlanc will leave the building.
In that time LeBlanc has witnessed plenty; the show's shaky rebirth with new co-hosts Chris Harris, Rory Reid, Sabine Schmidt, Eddie Jordan, and Chris Evans, followed by the vitriolic fan backlash of Evans that led to him ultimately pulling pin after season one.
Not that he would've been particularly sad about it.
But LeBlanc has also seen the show start to pick up its feet, as some reviewers gave it favourable reviews alongside The Grand Tour where Clarkson and co now reside.
It will now be interesting to see how slides in to replace LeBlanc as the show's central host. It's tough times, given that he, Reid, and Harris had just started to develop something loosely resembling 'chemistry'.