Vroom vroom

The producer charged with making Top Gear The Retread a success is Lisa Clark, who has previously worked with Chris Evans on The Big Breakfast and Don't Forget Your Toothbrush.

The connections go further. Lisa started out working for The Sun as a staff reporter under Kevin McKenzie in 1987, a job she says coated her with Teflon. She was then signed as a presenter for Network 7, Channel 4's yoof offering of 1987/8. Described as 'no Sue Lawley' she turned to production as a researcher on London Weekend Live. The Big Breakfast followed in 1992, hired by Charlie Parsons, who she had met on Network 7.

At the Big Breakfast she met sound engineer Dan McGrath, who became Chris Evans's producer at Radio 1 - and later Mr Lisa Clark.

Lisa worked with Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer on Shooting Stars, and has been part of their production company Pett TV.

Described once as a woman who could "belch for England", one might have guessed a car show was on the way from late May, when via Twitter she suddenly followed Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, James May, Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton and Radio 2.