If it's not slipping at the wheel, it's slipping a big secret!

Top Gear's Stig has finally been unmasked after nearly 7 years of secrecy. Ben Collins, a former Formula 3 driver, had planned to release his memoirs, something the BBC wished to stop. Though he planned to release them it was actually the Sunday Times which named Collins as The Stig due to his company's financial reports. For instance a 2003 report stated that the company was heading out of a 'cornerstone year' due to "driving services provided for the BBC, mainly in the Top Gear programme.

The question now lingers on whether there needs to be replacement. Back in 2002 former Formula 1 driver Perry McCarthy left the programme after he was outed as being 'the tame racing driving', of which created the introduction of Collins as the white Stig, replacing the former black suited driver.

With many previous stunts to try to prevent the identity being revealed, such as Michael Schumacher being unmasked, which many believed to be a 'red herring', the BBC has a tough choice to make. With local Bristol papers already printing a story about Ben Collins being Top Gear's best driver earlier in the year, after Collins apparently let slip his secret to a gallery owner whilst trying to purchase a print of The Stig.

With many now knowing the identity of the BBC's biggest secret will they ditch the white suited pilot of the show, who's the face of much BBC merchandise, or try another tactic?

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2010/aug/22/top-gear-bbc-stig-memoirs