Fuelling Around podcast: Ben Collins on being The Stig and his incredible Hollywood career

Top Gear icon and racing driver Ben Collins, also known as The Stig, joins hosts Jason Plato and Dave Vitty on the award-winning podcast Fuelling Around, to discuss how his identity was kept a secret for so many years, as well as his amazing career.

Collins has competed in some of the world’s best known motorsport disciplines, including Formula 3, Le Mans 24h, and against host Plato during the 2010 British Touring Car Championship season.

The 48-year-old, is also one of the UK’s most famous faces on motoring television shows, despite ironically hiding it for years on Top Gear as The Stig alongside Jeremy Clarkson, James May and previous Fuelling Around guest Richard Hammond.

His driving skills have also seen him work as a stunt driver on Hollywood blockbusters such as The Dark Knight Rises, Solo: A Star Wars Story and Mission Impossible.

Ben Collins on keeping his identity a secret on Top Gear

Collins is the most famous Stig in Top Gear history, with his identity being hidden for a number of years, leading to many fans to question who the man was behind the mask. On the podcast, Collins describes how he managed to keep it hidden: “I was left to my own devices,” he describes.

“The brief was fairly clear, which was to not let your identity get out there. So I decided from the minute I was within a five-mile radius of wherever I was going (for the show) or the Top Gear track in Dunsfold, the balaclava would go on.

“So I’d rock up, and because the security guard is bound to get used to you, I used to wear it which took care of that problem. Then I’d park in the middle of nowhere and I’d bring nothing with my ID into the portacabin or anywhere where I used to hang out with the crew. I mean I did get some funny looks because it looked suspicious. I looked like a bank robber.

“Then I’d slink off and I used to get changed in the old pilots room, which was pretty derelict along with the rest of the aerodrome. And then reappear completely changed.

“So I was either in civvy mode with the balaclava, or fully ‘Stiged’ up and the helmet didn’t come off, except for a bit of breathing occasionally when I could get away with it. It was the best part of a year before (Jeremy) Clarkson even knew who it was!”