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The Stig - who we now know is Bristolian Ben Collins

Today, the BBC has lost its High Court injunction to ban the publication of an autobiography, revealing the identity of the man behind the white helmet as 35 year old Ben Collins.

Ben has competed in motor racing since 1996, in competitions like Formula 3 and GT racing. The 35 year old who has raced at Le Mans runs his own company called 'Ben Collins Auto Sports'.

Today, it's also been confirmed he is the stunt driver on BBC's Top Gear - something which had been rumoured for a few months.

This comes after the BBC lost their injunction at the High Court in London, to stop the publication of an autobiography which reveals his name. The BBC argued that if the Stig's identity is revealed, then Top Gear will be less entertaining for the viewers and that the publication was in breach of confidentiality obligations.

The case took place behind closed doors. The publishers Harpercollins said it would "vigorously defend" its right to publish the book, adding it was "disappointed that the BBC has chosen to spend licence fee payers' money to suppress this book".

However, the BBC state that "though it was important to do everything they could to protect that amenity, they say they brought this action because they thought it was vital to protect the identity of the Stig which ultimately belongs to the licence fee holder."

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