The BBC has been refused a court injunction preventing the revealing of The Stig's identity.
English stuntman and motor racing driver Ben Collins - who raced at Bathurst last year for the first time - has been Top Gear's The Stig. Source: The Daily Telegraph
BRITAIN'S High Court has refused to grant a temporary injunction preventing the revelation of the identity of Top Gear's The Stig as Ben Collins.
The BBC had taken legal action to block HarperCollins' publication of the 35-year-old's autobiography which would unmask the mystery racing driver.
It claimed he is bound by a confidentiality agreement and that revealing who he is would spoil viewers' enjoyment of the popular BBC-produced program.
The driver's identity has long been a closely guarded show secret, spawning T-shirts emblazoned with slogans such as 'My Dad is The Stig'.
Only executives and Top Gear presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May were said to know the identity of The Stig, famous for racing cars on the show wearing white overalls and a blacked-out visor.
However, many viewers may already have had a good idea about who he was after a company owned by Mr Collins, a stuntman from Bristol, published accounts listing ``driving services provided for the BBC, mainly in the Top Gear program''.
After more than a day of legal submissions in private before Mr Justice Morgan in London, lawyers for HarperCollins emerged today to say the case had concluded in their favor.
Solicitor Robin Shaw said: "The judge has said he is not going to grant an injunction in this case."
Mr Collins was in court for part of today's hearing.
A spokesman for the BBC said today's judgment did not prevent it from pursuing the matter to a full trial of the issues.
Several racing drivers have been linked to the role, including former Formula One world champions Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher and - most recently - Mr Collins, who was a stunt double for James Bond.
The current Stig is the second in the role. The first Stig, Perry McCarthy, was dropped in 2003 after his identity was uncovered.
HarperCollins communications director Siobhan Kenny said later: "This is a victory for freedom of speech."
"Ben Collins has a great story to tell about his seven years as The Stig which will appeal to a wide audience beyond the world of motoring enthusiasts. The book will be published on September 16."
See more about this story at the Daily Mail Online.
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