Paul Rees, former Top Gear Stig, sues BBC over 2022 crash

The professional driver who portrayed the iconic "Stig" character on the BBC's Top Gear has revealed his identity and is suing the broadcaster for injuries he sustained in a 2022 crash that also severely injured presenter Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff. Paul Rees, 41, who wore the white suit from 2019 to 2022, is seeking damages, claiming he repeatedly raised safety concerns that were ignored before the accident.

The crash occurred in December 2022 at the Top Gear test track at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey. Flintoff was driving an open-topped, three-wheeled Morgan Super 3 with Rees as a passenger when the vehicle overturned. Flintoff suffered serious facial injuries, broken ribs, and required multiple reconstructive surgeries. He later reached a compensation settlement with the BBC reported to be worth 12 million pounds.

Rees, an experienced racing driver, says he broke his back in the crash and was left with post-traumatic stress disorder, a diagnosis he says he received in 2023 after months of pain. He is claiming in excess of 100,000 pounds in a lawsuit first filed a year after the accident, though he stated he would have accepted a heartfelt apology from the BBC.