Radio Times

Top Gear fans will be celebrating the return of the series to BBC2 this Sunday. The nation's favourite motoring show is beloved of lads and ladettes alike, yet it features an all-male presenting line-up. So what if Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May were replaced by members of the opposite sex? Who would you put in the driving seats?

In a recent survey on RadioTimes.com, we asked you to name your ultimate female TG trio. 1,793 of you responded. So who did you choose?

To stand in for Clarkson - "The Bossy One" - you picked acid-tongued Weakest Link host Anne Robinson, closely followed by deadpan comic Jo Brand.

Fearne Cotton would be your Top Gear eye candy - replacing Richard Hammond, "The Cute One" - only slightly ahead of former Doctor Who star Billie Piper.

And taking the place of James May - "The Thoughtful One" - on the winners' rostrum would be Joanna Lumley.

Meanwhile, some less popular - but no less intriguing - suggestions included Ann Widdecombe and Katie Price as Clarkson, Alexa Chung or Sandi Toksvig as Hammond and The Apprentice's Margaret Mountford and TV nun Sister Wendy Beckett as May.

The top ten choices for each presenter were as follows:

Jeremy Clarkson - The Bossy One

1. Anne Robinson
2. Jo Brand
3. Janet Street-Porter
4. Sara Cox
5. Ruby Wax
6. Davina McCall
7. Denise Van Outen
8. Sharon Osbourne
9. Vanessa Feltz
10. Trinny Woodall

Richard Hammond - The Cute One

1. Fearne Cotton
2. Billie Piper
3. Cheryl Cole
4. Myleene Klass
5. Suzi Perry
6. Amanda Holden
7. Vicki Butler-Henderson
8. Dannii Minogue
9. Natasha Kaplinsky
10. June Sarpong

James May - The Thoughtful One

1. Joanna Lumley
2. Carol Vorderman
3. Fiona Bruce
4. Jodie Kidd
5. Kate Humble
6. Gabby Logan
7. Kirsty Young
8. Christine Bleakley
9. Mariella Frostrup
10. Kirsty Wark

So, do you think Robinson, Cotton and Lumley would be worthy replacements for Clarkson, Hammond and May? If not, which women do you see as the boys' female counterparts? Post a comment below and let us know.

And don't forget to check out the rest of our great Top Gear content, including galleries, blogs and interviews.

If Top Gear boys were replaced by other male hosts here would be the results

Jezza: Simon Cowell or Kevin McCloud (arrogance).

Richard: Ant, Dec or Dermot O Leary (simmilar height)

James: Andrew Marr or David Attenborrough (knoledgeable)

Kirsty Alsopp would be an ideal replacement for Jezza Holly Willoughby would be Hamster Sarah Beeny would be Captain Slow

so bbc what? do you believe that it would be better if you destroy top gear? shame on the guy who thought about that... what a missery man.. :O :O

i believe that this idea aims to make top gear even more famous , to gain even more money for bbc...

but suddly its the worst thing that can happen at top gear...all the top gear fans are top gear fans becouse the are hammond's may's and clarkson's fans. so if they change and topgear's character will change and that is something that really NO ONE WANTS. WE LOVE TOP GEAR AS IT IS , LIKE EVERY REAL FAN DOES..!! AND BELIEVE ME TOP GEAR has MILLIONS of REAL FANS...!! respect Top Gear and leave us enjoy that we love AS IT IS !!!!!! .. please..

Agreed entirely with rusty - Vicki Butler-Henderson, Jodi Kidd... and it's Sabine Schmitz you're thinking of :)

your all ignorent ISUFFER FROM ASPERGER SYDROME , AND MOST WRITERS CANT SPELL, I DONT LET MY DISABILTY STOP ME FROM MY DREAM. HAVE A HEART U JUDGEMENTAL COWS IM ASHAMED OF U!!!

Please, don't do this.

my vote goes for keeping it the way it is - why ruin it by introducing some bint into it?

V10vixen, are u really a writer? if so i will be suprised as u cant even spell...

As a silly one-off with the lads on a challenge it might work, with Viki Butler-Henderson as the cute one, Jodi Kidd as the cute one and the German lass whose name I've forgotten as the cute one...

So, V10Vixen, you have "simler intrests", and , to be completely "hounest", you "bore pl". You say you're a motoring writer: pray tell, in what language?

What's going on here!? The best female presenter has to be Sabine Schmitz, surely?

God help us if V10 Vixen is an example of motoring journalism, very sloppy!

I'm very much against this idea. Not because I don't want female presenters - I don't really care what gender the presenters are, to be honest - but because Clarkson, May, and Hammond are just brilliant. They're a fantastic team, and Top Gear wouldn't be Top Gear without them.

If Jimbo feels that way about Top Gear, may I suggest he watches 5th Gear instead. As for the "ugly feminists" comment, I will treat that with the contempt it deserves!

well the old top gear, when it was about serious reviews and real cars for real people should come back. But now the BBC has got a cash cow from the mostly stupid entertainment show it has become. If they replaced them with women they would have to be sexy women that knew about cars, not ugly feminists.

I'd be the new JAMES MAY , I'm a female Motoring writer and kinda know James , and have simler intrests and bore pl except I'm a girl and love shopping boots smellys ect.I think James planes to end his presenting of TOP GEAR in his 50s BUT CARRY ON WRITEING so sadly we've not got long left with our favroite middle aged men.

To be completely hounest, you can never replace hammond , may and stiggy tis top gear will go down in history.

It's a great idea - although some of the suggestions for presenters are pretty dodgy. I'd go with Sara Cox, Billie Piper and Fiona Bruce - and then rename the programme either "Bottom Gear" or "Topless Gear" - with naturally the presenters dressed accordingly ! ;-)

i wonder how richard hammond would reacty if u called him the cute one... well, he is SO gorgey!

Terrible idea but if the Beeb ever did stoop to tokenism then at least let it be a woman who knows a bit about cars: Vicky B-H or Suzi Perry for example or how about Jane Omorogbe? She knows her stuff and unlike Clarkson isn't frightened of motorbikes either!

Please don't change the line-up of the main three, it's what makes the show as good as it is with the banter etc. Why can't I (as a girl) enjoy a programme just because there's no girl presenter? I would, however, like to see more girl "star in reasonably priced car" guests, in the vein of Jodi Kidd Jennifer Saunders & Ellen May. Maybe occasional guest presenter items by Suzi Perry or Kate Humble?

As a woman, I say it ain't broke, so don't "fix" it! Top Gear has a winning formula which already attracts a massive female viewership, so please don't insult us women with tokenism in some wrong-headed pursuit of "equality". If we felt discriminated against by Top Gear, we wouldn't watch the show in our millions and millions. Please, pols, don't meddle where you're not wanted!

That would be the dummest idea replacing boys with girls top gear would not be top gear any more there would be no entertainment just boring talking, I used to not like cars but these guys made me get interested in cars because of all the comedy and fun I would want to be a presenter on top gear but not with girls. So please don't put girls on this show. And who thought of this dum idea

Top gear on Sunday new series is gonna be so brilliant,them guys are so funny, I don't want any girls butting in and coming on top gear it would be so boring

I don't think girls should take over because it spoils top gear and the three presenters which are right now are entertaining and funny so I personally don't want girls taking over.

p.s. though i reckon clarkson would only give permission for himself to be played by ellen macarthur. how little boy you're-my-hero did he get about her?! or if she was busy on a boat somewhere, kristin scott-thomas, but you couldn't show the green room footage

no of course not don't be daft! even for yet-another-feminist TG is my sunday night girlie giggle with three emotionally pre-pubescent mates who have a lovely camaraderie thing going on that reminds me of the only time in his life when my little brother wasn't a complete pain but as a one-off it would be just fab to do a girl-presented programme with jodie kidd (obviously), anne widdecombe (did celebrity fat club after all and currently standing in for speaker of house of commons, i think, so game for a laugh) and louise jordan from itv's f1 grand prix showings last few years (sorry yes i'm a fan - go Jenson!) and show parallel footage of the boys watching the girls from the green room doing their job but for the sake of all the bleeps they'd have to know they were being filmed! go on controller, consider the gauntlet thrown.

a different helen

i dont care who presents it. But no one can beat Clarkson, May and Hammond, there are far the best presenters known to TV. I just dont think Top Gear will be my favourite show when they leave :/ thats what worries me the most. It'll be like an end of an era.

Women presenters would be the death of the show.

"So, do you think Robinson, Cotton and Lumley would be worthy replacements for Clarkson, Hammond and May? "

Noooo! It's the personalities and quirks of the current presenters that make Top Gear what it is. As a feminist, may I ask that we not have to whitewash everything in the world to make it similar? Diversity is not about eliminating every male role in existence!

I agree with you wholeheartedly, Helen. Life's for living and enjoying, and a keen sense of humour can keep you sane! Heaven forbid that a token woman is shoehorned into the show. The sole reason I watch Top Gear is to see what scrapes our heroes have got themselves into! If, heaven forbid, it did happen, then Kirsty Young or Joanna Lumley would be the only women I would watch. Otherwise, forget it; I'll read a book instead.

Interesting but do any of them know anything about cars?

Horrible idea but I guess Vicki Butler-Henderson and Jodie Kidd would be the only possibles as they actually know about cars rather than simply because they wear a skirt! Listen girls, too many of us have long since taken ourselves far too seriously and some are actually turning into female fascists with their lop-sided values and desire to belittle men (half the population, including your own fathers, brothers, husbands, lovers and SONS!).

Please understand that you do not empower yourselves by seeking to disempower others, nor emancipate yourselves by underminig the actual or perceived freedoms of others either.

I am secure in my femininity thank you. I do not see myself as less than, or more than men. Just equal, but different!

With well-wishing,

Helen

That'd be quite funny but noone's as good as the boys!

I'm actually in love with those guys

Top Gear on Sunday! Who else can't wait??

I'd go with:

Janet Street-Porter

Suzie Perry

Joanna Lumley.

Personal taste but perfect choices, IMO.

The very carefully rehearsed 'banter' wouldn't be quite so entertaining if Fearne Cotton or Anne Robinson were involved. Joanna Lumley, Sarah Beany & Billie Piper or Jodie Kidd would be my choice.

I agree with Andy! I mean, I'd rather it not happen at all, but if it did, make it those three please! Jodie Kidd would just be so awesome...

A fantastic idea to break the hideous trio up. I would have Sue Perkins as the Bossy one. Kate Humble as the Cute one and Jane Asher as the Thoughtful one. Go, ladies, go!

Hmm amusing but in reality a god awful idea. The success of the show is the banter between the Clarkson, May & Hammond. That kind of insulting, competitive brilliance is only authentic between men who are little boys at heart. Please save us from any pc demands for a woman on the show it would break an entertaining dynamic !

My vote goes to Trinny Woodall, Suzi Perry and Jodie Kidd. The competition would be mega-fierce, there would be great banter, and terrific eye candy. BBC - I challenge you. Bring it on!