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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/may/04/vernon-kay-top-gear-the-drive-itv-louis-walsh
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| Vernon Kay's Top Gear rival The Drive hits the skids | Vernon Kay's Top Gear rival The Drive hits the skids |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Chris Evans’s new Top Gear is set to face one less rival after ITV moved to axe The Drive after just one series. | Chris Evans’s new Top Gear is set to face one less rival after ITV moved to axe The Drive after just one series. |
| The Vernon Kay-fronted show, which has been called an extended version of Top Gear’s “star in a reasonably priced car” segment, features celebrities including former The X Factor judge Louis Walsh, presenter Mariella Frostrup and rapper Professor Green racing each other in different cars each week. | The Vernon Kay-fronted show, which has been called an extended version of Top Gear’s “star in a reasonably priced car” segment, features celebrities including former The X Factor judge Louis Walsh, presenter Mariella Frostrup and rapper Professor Green racing each other in different cars each week. |
| The show got out of the grid with just under 2 million viewers tuning in to the first of its five episodes. | The show got out of the grid with just under 2 million viewers tuning in to the first of its five episodes. |
| Related: BBC says Sun attacks on Top Gear's Chris Evans are 'unfounded nonsense' | Related: BBC says Sun attacks on Top Gear's Chris Evans are 'unfounded nonsense' |
| But it has failed to subsequently build its audience, with the penultimate episode last week attracting an average just 1.4 million viewers. | But it has failed to subsequently build its audience, with the penultimate episode last week attracting an average just 1.4 million viewers. |
| The Sun reported on Wednesday that the show will not be recommissioned for a second series. | The Sun reported on Wednesday that the show will not be recommissioned for a second series. |
| “Any suggestion that Drive won’t be returning for a second series is pure speculation and we will make a decision in due course,” said a spokeswoman for ITV. | |
| The Guardian’s review of the show said “even Top Gear fans will be bored silly” with Drive. | The Guardian’s review of the show said “even Top Gear fans will be bored silly” with Drive. |
| The Drive did not go head to head with Top Gear, but the BBC will be pleased to have one less rival motoring show on TV. | The Drive did not go head to head with Top Gear, but the BBC will be pleased to have one less rival motoring show on TV. |
| The new-look BBC2 show is scheduled to return later this month. | The new-look BBC2 show is scheduled to return later this month. |
| Former Top Gear presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May are set to debut their new, as yet unnamed, series on Amazon’s Prime video service later this year. | Former Top Gear presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May are set to debut their new, as yet unnamed, series on Amazon’s Prime video service later this year. |