UPDATE 28 July: Police today announced that the case against Evans has been dropped. Complete timeline below:
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Chris Evans’ humbling departure from Top Gear this month followed extensive digging by Heat Street.
Here’s how one of the BBC’s most prized shows – and most lucrative exports – turned to dust under his stewardship.
June 2015: Evans announced as Clarkson replacement
Chris Evans is confirmed as the new host of Top Gear after Jeremy Clarkson is sacked for punching a colleague. Evans signs a three-year deal – but ultimately managed only six episodes.
April 27, 2016: Heat Street sounds the alarm
Heat Street, which launched just a few days earlier, raises the first warning signs about Evans’s past, revealing that a former colleague was planning to speak out about his alleged habit of exposing his penis to women at work.
Matt LeBlanc, Chris Evans, and the Top Gear time bomb
https://t.co/mDdyfDV1iN— Miles Goslett (@Miles_Goslett) April 27, 2016
April 30, 2016: Colleagues speak out over Evans
Further claims start to trickle out about Evans’ past after Heat Street‘s exclusive is picked up by The Sun.
A group of former TV workers take to a public Facebook group to gossip about their pasts with Evans, which were headline-worthy once again.
One recalled: “He’d had a bath so dropped his towel and stood stark bollock naked for ten minutes while I prepped his next interview with Zig & Zag.
Chris Evans faces nudity and bullying claims #topgearhttps://t.co/OyPdjFg9OY
— Miles Goslett (@Miles_Goslett) April 30, 2016
“I looked down at it then continued talking. I could tell he was annoyed I never ‘reacted’… It was a classic bit of bullying but didn’t affect me.”
Another answered: “I thought the same thing. You are right about it being bullying. Total f****r.”
May 5, 2016: Former business partner says Evans ‘out of control’
A week after the last set of revelations, Heat Street published a bombshell interview with Evans’ former business partner John Revell.
Revell, who worked with Evans in the ’90s – the time period the sex assault claim dates to – demanded that the BBC launch an investigation.
Exclusive: Chris Evans' former business partner tells Heat Street BBC must investigate the presenter https://t.co/BEKIOO9mjH #TopGear
— Miles Goslett (@Miles_Goslett) May 5, 2016
He told Heat Street UK Editor Miles Goslett: “He’s out of control. I had hoped he’d got to an age where he would have stopped bullying and shouting and screaming at people, but by all accounts he hasn’t. The BBC is unable to control him”
May 7: Alleged victim speaks out
Just days later, the former colleague of Evans who had previously mentioned his alleged bad behaviour agrees to tell her story in full.
In an in-depth interview with Heat Street, the woman, whose identity we are not revealing, described a two-year association in which Evans harassed her relentlessly.
She said: “I have no idea if he was getting some gratification out of this, but he used to get his penis out every time I saw him.
Heat Street exclusive: 'Chris Evans Flashed Woman Relentlessly For Two Years'https://t.co/5vus861QJV#topgear
— Miles Goslett (@Miles_Goslett) May 7, 2016
“He’d either just get it out, or he’d walk in to a room naked. Sometimes it was erect, sometimes it wasn’t. This was breaking the law. It was pretty much every single day. It was relentless.”
May 11: More behind-the-scenes fractures emerge
Sources from the set of Top Gear revealed to Heat Street that allegations of bullying by Evans exist to the present day.
BBC Accused Of Burying Complaints Made Against Chris Evans Six Months Ago. Paper Trail Allegedly Exists.https://t.co/94FBlh6aTl#TopGear
— Miles Goslett (@Miles_Goslett) May 11, 2016
Our story revealed how producer Laura Clark quit the show after tensions with Evans over the progress of filming.
May 12: MP urges BBC to investigate
The following day, Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen wrote to the head of the BBC to demand that it take the allegations seriously. No action was forthcoming.
Excl: Tory MP Andrew Bridgen Has Asked BBC Trust To Investigate Chris Evans And BBC Management Over Bullying Claims
https://t.co/fjyIDpwsBe— Miles Goslett (@Miles_Goslett) May 12, 2016
May 23: Complaint made to police
An allegation of sexual assault dating back to the 1990s was made to the Metropolitan Police on May 23rd – though it only became public today.
On the same day, Mr Bridgen urged the BBC a second time to take action.
Update: Andrew Bridgen MP says he has sent his letter requesting a BBC inquiry into Chris Evans to Lord Hallhttps://t.co/fjyIDpwsBe
— Miles Goslett (@Miles_Goslett) May 12, 2016
May 29: First episode of Top Gear airs, promptly flops
The first episode of the new series aired, pulling in disappointing viewing figures. The ratings would continue to slide all season, drawing in fewer than 2 million people with the July 3 finale.
BBC America admits ratings for week 2 of Top Gear have sunk another 5% on an already dismal week 1.https://t.co/JVg9JoX24P#TopGear
— Miles Goslett (@Miles_Goslett) June 15, 2016
July 2: Police prepare to act
The day before the final Top Gear episode aired, Heat Street revealed that the Metropolitan Police were planning to question Evans over the sex assault claim.
Heat Street exclusive: BBC's Chris Evans 'to be quizzed by police' over sexual offence allegation https://t.co/Kt712GaIPY#TopGear
— Miles Goslett (@Miles_Goslett) July 2, 2016
July 4: Investigation confirmed, Evans quits
Events come to a head the first working day after Heat Street‘s story.
Not long after midday, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that it was investigating Evans over the “non-recent” sex crime allegation.
Barely two hours later, Evans threw in the towel. He did not mention the police probe, only saying that his best efforts with Top Gear were “not enough”.
Stepping down from Top Gear. Gave it my best shot but sometimes that's not enough. The team are beyond brilliant, I wish them all the best.
— Chris Evans (@achrisevans) July 4, 2016
Despite only being at the helm for six episodes, he managed to mire the show in further scandal, wreck its credibility, and drag its audience to an all-time low.
July 28: Police drop investigation
Sources told Heat Street that Evans was questioned by officers on Thursday 28th July.
Shortly afterwards, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that they had spoken to a man in his 50s about the alleged assault, and decided to drop the case due to “insufficient evidence”.
