Quentin Willson, the former Top Gear presenter, has died at the age of 68 following a short illness.
Willson co-hosted the BBC motoring program from 1991 to 2001, alongside figures like Jeremy Clarkson, before moving on to present Fifth Gear on Channel 5.
In later years, he became a prominent campaigner, leading the FairFuel group advocating for reduced fuel duties, and was an early adopter of electric vehicles (EVs).
The Leicester-born father-of-three was described as a “true national treasure” and a “true consumer champion” in a statement released by his family. They confirmed that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer and passed away on Saturday.
“Quentin brought the joy of motoring, from combustion to electric, into our living rooms,” the statement read.
“The void he has left can never be filled. His knowledge was not just learned but lived; a library of experience now beyond our reach…”
“Quentin will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and all who knew him personally and professionally.”
His family’s statement also emphasized his early advocacy for General Motors’ EV1 electric car in the 1990s, highlighting that he was “always ahead of the curve.”
They added, “More recently he had worked tirelessly to make EVs affordable for all.”
Willson was Top Gear’s expert on used cars, renowned for his dry wit and incisive reviews.
He also presented “The Car’s the Star” for the BBC, “The Classic Car Show” on Channel 5, and contributed as a motoring journalist for Classic Cars magazine and The Mirror. In 2004, he was named motoring writer of the year at the British Press Awards.
Vicki Butler-Henderson, a presenter who collaborated with Willson on both Top Gear and Fifth Gear, stated that “he was very much the champion of the consumer and educated people throughout many car deals, saving people hundreds – if not thousands – of pounds.”
Speaking on the BBC Radio 4’s PM programme, she said “he made a huge difference” with his campaigning on fuel duties and “definitely helped keep money in our pockets for well over a decade.”
In 2004, Willson participated in “Strictly Come Dancing,” where his score of eight points for a routine remains the lowest ever awarded by judges on the show.
But speaking to the Independent three years later, the presenter said he was “very proud” to have recorded the score.
“Builders ran up to me to shake my hand because I failed so badly. I tried, but I was the dancing equivalent of a JCB,” he said of his Cha Cha Cha.
James May, another presenter who worked with Willson on Top Gear in the 1990s, paid tribute to his former colleague, describing him as a “great bloke.”
He wrote on X that Willson “gave me proper advice and encouragement during my earliest attempts at TV, back in the late 90s,” adding: “I’ve never forgotten it.”
AA president Edmund King expressed his “devastation” at Willson’s passing, calling him a “brilliant TV presenter” and an “amazing campaigner.”
“He will be missed by all.”
In the late 19th Century, James Garfield promised progress and reform – but four months after his inauguration he was shot. New series Death by Lightning explores his life and legacy.
Once a production powerhouse, producer and writer Steven Knight wants to put the city back on the map.
Cat Burns, Joe Marler and Nick Mohammed have been widely seen as the breakout stars of the series.
Filming for The Party, which is based on the 2017 book by Elizabeth Day, has started.
She plays a divorce lawyer in All’s Fair, which one critic said “may be the worst TV drama ever”.