The BBC has defended the new version of Top Gear after leaked audience data suggested 370 people had complained about the programme.
Viewers voiced fierce opposition to the new format fronted by presenter Chris Evans, including the jokes he made about his predecessor Jeremy Clarkson, according to the alleged leaked feedback reported by the Daily Telegraph.
Audience data seen by the newspaper apparently showed it had an appreciation index score of 60, which is considered poor. Programmes on BBC2 averaged a score of 82, making Top Gear the worst rated programme of the week, the Telegraph reported.
The show has also been accused of using canned laughter to bolster studio audiences’ muted responses, which the BBC denied. TV critics and viewers on social media pointed out last week that the laughter heard in the show did not appear to correlate with reactions from the live audience.
The best part of #TopGear is the canned laughter when you can clearly see that nobody's laughing.
— Jason Linsel (@JasonLinsel) May 29, 2016
Look at the audience when Evans makes a catering joke, canned laughter, hardly anyone claps. Typical Beeb ignorance #TopGear
— Wayne Hansford (@WayneHansford) May 30, 2016
F***k me....all its missing is canned laughter...shots of audience looking bemused...get out of that seat you utter knob..boooo! #TopGear
— George Williams (@Georgemedical) May 29, 2016
An anonymous audience member told the Sun: “The episode made it sound as though we were in fits of hysterics throughout the recording, but that is far from the truth.”
A Top Gear spokesman denied there had been “awkward silences during filming as reported by The Sun newspaper, which clearly has an agenda against the show.
“It’s well known that Top Gear isn’t a live programme and that the show is edited after filming, but last week’s episode was edited in exactly the same way as previous series.”
The BBC said all laughter is taken from the studio audience and no artificial laughter had been used.
Evans has defended the show fiercely on Twitter, saying the viewing figures proved audiences had enjoyed the programme:
The new Top Gear is a hit. OFFICIALLY. 23 % audience share. 12% MORE than the opening episode of the last series. These are the FACTS.
— Chris Evans (@achrisevans) May 30, 2016
Top Gear audience grew throughout the hour. FACT. Won its slot. FACT. Still number one on i Player. FACT. These are THE FACTS folks.
— Chris Evans (@achrisevans) May 30, 2016
Ratings, however, showed the live episode failed to reach the viewing figures of the last series featuring Clarkson. It drew 4.4 million viewers, with a peak of 4.7 million, while the last series finished with 5.8 million. Catchup viewing figures will still affect the final tally, which will be announced this week.
Top Gear was still the most watched programme in the 8pm time slot, beating Antiques Roadshow on BBC1 and the British Soap awards on ITV.
A BBC spokesman said the programme was “a new era for Top Gear, which Chris and Matt kicked off in style and viewing figures have been growing steadily since broadcast”.
On Wednesday, ITV’s former entertainment chief Mark Wells likened Evans’s task to that of the Manchester United managers now, following decades of success.
He told Radio 4’s Media Show: “There is a danger he looks like a David Moyes to an Alex Ferguson when you are following a figure such as Clarkson.”
Wells said it was important Evans did not try to imitate his predecessor. “He really needs to find his voice. There is this constant criticism he sounds a bit like Clarkson. I would try and persuade Chris to pull back a bit.”
