Keeping a secret can be difficult at the best of
times, but imagine just how tricky it was to keep schtum about being The
Stig for seven years.
It was no easy feat, but Ben Collins
managed to get away with it after going to drastic lengths to keep his
real identity under wraps from the general public and the trio of
presenters on Top Gear.
After taking part in a whopping 101 episodes of the BBC's hit show, he finally stripped off The Stig's trademark white suit and helmet to reveal himself in 2010.
The British racing driver, from Bristol, previously revealed that only two people were aware it was him hiding underneath the costume - as even hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May were kept in the dark about his identity.
To
avoid detection, he explained that while he was on set for Top Gear,
the helmet 'stayed on the whole day' to conceal his face.
Ben Collins hid behind the white helmet for seven years (BBC)
In his 2010 book,
The Man in the White Suit, Collins explained that he pulled out all the
stops to keep the mystery of The Stig a secret - even lying to his
loved ones.
He explained he 'made his own rules' to ensure his
identity would remain confidential, such as never parking in the same
spot twice and never discussing his role on the car show with anyone outside of 'the circle'.
Collins
said he would even keep a balaclava on until he was 'eight miles clear
of location and certain that no one was following'.
He wrote: "My
golden rule was never to appear in the white suit without my helmet on.
I sterilised my gear, left every trace of Ben Collins - my phone, my
wallet and so on - locked in the car, then hid the keys.
"I lied to everyone, including my friends and family, about what I was doing."
The racing driver, 50, also discussed how he would interact with the Top Gear cast and crew without blowing his own cover.
He revealed he went to extreme lengths to keep his identity as The Stig a secret (Foto24/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
"Speaking was allowed, but obviously nothing more than that," he said in a previous interview
with Car Throttle in 2020. "I think I'd been there about a year and
still the presenters didn't know who it was - until we started doing the
live shows."
Collins explained that on one occasion, he was 'hiding in a motorhome' waiting to film when Clarkson walked in.
Recalling the moment, the former Stig said: "[He] gave me a look like, 'Who the hell are you?'"
Although he was obviously in a bit of a panic, Collins kept his cool and informed the TV star that the show's executive producer Andy Wilman had told him he 'should sit here'.
But
he needn't have bothered, as when Wilman reappeared, he let the cat out
the bag. Collins said: "Wilman had told him, 'That's Ben, that's The
Stig - keep a lid on it'."
After stepping into the shoes of the original Stig - Formula One star Perry McCarthy - in 2003, Collins eventually departed Top Gear in 2010 after seven years.
Racing star Phil Keen took his place until Top Gear went on an indefinite hiatus following Freddie Flintoff's life-changing crash in December 2022.
Featured Image Credit: Matt Jelonek/WireImage
