Andy Wilman, the executive producer who played a key role in turning Top Gear into a worldwide phenomenon, has just given his first South African interview to Cars.co.za.
At its peak, Top Gear became a global television phenomenon, reaching audiences worldwide and being adapted and dubbed into numerous languages.
Wilman was always the man behind the curtain. As a longtime friend of Jeremy Clarkson, he helped shape the show’s unique style and format, but rarely stepped into the spotlight himself.
Now, Wilman is lifting the lid on his behind-the-scenes stories in his new book, Mr Wilman’s Motoring Mayhem: Top Gear, Grand Tour and Twenty Years of Magic and Mayhem.
Although most of the buzz around the book has been in Europe, Wilman recently sat down with Cars.co.za’s Ciro De Siena for his first South African interview.
“It was an absolute career highlight for me—a life highlight,” says De Siena. “Mr Wilman has been a hero of mine for two decades. He was always this mystical figure; I wasn’t even sure what he looked like. And when he agreed to an interview, I was over the moon.”
With Wilman based in the UK and busy working on the next season of Clarkson’s Farm, the interview took place remotely. The Cars.co.za team connected from their new podcast studio in South Africa, while De Siena chatted to Wilman across the miles.
The conversation dives into Wilman’s career, his time working on some of the biggest motoring shows of the last twenty years, and plenty of stories from behind the scenes. He also talks about his memories of South Africa and how Richard Hammond ended up joining the Top Gear team.
You can catch the full interview on the Cars.co.za YouTube channel, as well as all the major podcast platforms.
“I’m not sure why Mr Wilman was always behind the scenes. He’s absolutely hilarious,” says De Siena. “I think anyone who vaguely enjoyed Top Gear will enjoy this interview as much as I did.”
Mr Wilman’s Motoring Mayhem is now available in South Africa at selected bookstores, and you can also find it on Amazon and Takealot.
