Stig wins court fight to reveal his identity

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

The name of Top Gear's stunt driver has been revealed to the world after Ben Collins – known on the television show as The Stig – won a High Court ruling against the BBC yesterday. Mr Collins, 35, Top Gear's incognito racing driver for the past seven years, has written an autobiography that the BBC tried to prevent being published, claiming Collins signed a confidentiality contract when he joined the show.

Yesterday Mr Justice Morgan refused to grant a temporary injunction blocking the publication of The Man in the White Suit. The book will reach the shops in two weeks barring a successful appeal from the BBC. Yesterday's decision appeared to bring to an end a row between the BBC and the publishing house HarperCollins, which said The Stig's autobiography would be released for Christmas.

A spokesman for the Corporation said: "The Top Gear audience has always made it clear they enjoyed the mystery around the identity of The Stig. The BBC felt it important to protect that anonymity. Today's judgement does not prevent the BBC from pursuing this matter to trial."