Former Top Gear and Fifth Gear host Quentin Willson has passed away at 68. The TV presenter had lung cancer.
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According to ITV, Willson passed away “peacefully surrounded by his family.” He died last Saturday. His passing comes as a shock to fans of Top Gear. Willson served as host of the show for 10 years between 1991 and 2001. So he’s remembered for being part of the classic era of the show.
Following his passing, his family released a statement.
The family statement read, “The family of Quentin Willson, television presenter and producer, motoring journalist, author, and campaigner, wish to announce that he passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Saturday 8th November, following a short battle with lung cancer. He was 68.”
They continued, “A true national treasure, Quentin brought the joy of motoring, from combustion to electric, into our living rooms. He helped shape the original Top Gear as one of its first hosts, working alongside Jeremy Clarkson and the team who took the pioneering show global.”
Quentin Willson Dies
The family also wrote, “He went on to front Fifth Gear and still holds the dubious honour of Strictly Come Dancing’s lowest score in history.”
Following his passing, former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson paid tribute on X, “I’m far away so I’ve only just heard that Quentin Willson has died. We had some laughs over the years. Properly funny man.”
Additionally, James May paid tribute to Willson as well. He wrote, “Quentin Willson gave me proper advice and encouragement during my earliest attempts at TV, back in the late 90s. I’ve never forgotten it.”
Tiff Needell also wrote, “Oh Quentin how can you leave us so soon. So many memories of the @BBC_TopGear we built in the nineties that I wanted to remember with you again. Please upload the film of me with him and Jeremy in the Ford Puma that so wonderfully displays the times we had together… RIP Q.”
Finally, Ginny Buckley, chief executive of EV advice site Electrifying.com, described Willson as a “national treasure.”
“I was lucky to get to know him in recent years through his excellent work with FairCharge, where his passion for making electric vehicles accessible to all really shone through. He was warm, generous with his knowledge and unfailingly kind. He brought the joy of motoring – from petrol to plug – into our homes and hearts, and will be greatly missed,” she wrote.