Top Gear Stig’s biggest secret – she’s a woman

(And she’s got a mini-me double)

WHAT would Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May say? Top Gear – once presented by the unashamedly laddish trio – appears to have recruited its first female Stig.

The mystery driver, who always wears a full- face helmet on the TV show, was last week seen ducking into a cafe in the quiet South Wales village of Pendine Sands to change out of her racing overalls. She emerged carefully hiding the distinctive white helmet under her jacket.

But her diminutive colleague, who had a similar stature to a driver earlier seen wearing white Stig- style racing gear, was less discreet. As he strolled to his car, a box labelled with ‘The Stig’ could be clearly seen. The pair were spotted after a day filming stunts on the nearby beach for the new series of the BBC motoring show. It will be presented by former England cricketer Andrew Flintoff, TV personality Paddy McGuinness and former racing driver Chris Harris.

One local said the cafe had been hired by the TV crew, adding: ‘I saw the woman Stig get into the driver’s seat of the car, but I have no idea where they went.’

Since Clarkson, Hammond and May left Top Gear in 2016, there have been several Stig variations, including Stig’s African cousin, Ninja Stig and Big Stig, the driver’s portly American cousin.

However, the woman spotted in South Wales is believed to be the first female Stig in the programme’s 16-year history.

The identity of the first Stig remained a mystery for seven years until racing driver Ben Collins outed himself in an autobiography titled The Man In The White Suit.

The BBC declined to comment last night.

LIFTING THE LID: The mystery woman, above, was snapped hiding a helmet, main picture, during filming for Top Gear in Wales. Her mini-me colleague, far left, was seen carrying a box bearing the words ‘The Stig’. They appeared to be the same pair seen earlier in full racing gear, left