Chris Evans has hit back at critics and blasted the accusations of bullying made against him.
He revealed his family have been devastated by the claims and wishes to dispel any rumours once and for all, reports The Mirror.
The Top Gear star said:
I have had wild times in the past, but I am a different man now. I am older and wiser. I have never been a bully.
Evans also said he is worried about the effect the ‘witch hunt’ is having on his wife Natasha and two young sons.
The most distressing accusations came from old friend and former colleague John Revell – better known as his Radio 1 and Virgin sidekick ‘Johnny Boy’.
He said:
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.
Evans dismissed the accusations saying:
I’m not a bully. But of course if you sling enough mud, some will stick to the wall.
Is it hurtful to see your wife – or your children – upset? Of course it is. Who likes seeing their wife or kids in tears?
Since this witch hunt started we can sense some parents at the school gates feel awkward about what is happening.
It is not fair on my family that they should be confronted with this rubbish day after day. When it affects their lives it has gone too far.
But the rumours have also been affecting Evan’s professional life, and preparations for the new Top Gear have been plagued by personal attacks on Evans.
There have been reports of tension between Evans and co-host Matt LeBlanc and in recent weeks a number of colleagues have directed bullying accusations at the presenter.
Producer Lisa Clark quit the show amid accusations that Evans was a ‘control freak who thinks he can trample over everyone’.
However, a friend told how Evans was determined not to let the hate campaign wreck his career or happy family life.
He said:
Every ‘problem’ on the Top Gear show – other than factual things like the Cenotaph or a car not being taxed properly – has been a malicious fallacy, pure made-up fantasy.
Another friend dismissed claims he didn’t want LeBlanc as a co-presenter:
Chris got a message saying David Coulthard had been forced to pull out of Top Gear because his company landed the Formula 1 contract with Channel 4.
Apparently the team had seen a Top Gear promo Le Blanc did and Evans said: “I want Matt. He’s really good. Let’s go for him.” LeBlanc reportedly signed a one year deal but has already said he wants to do a second series.
The BBC say they have no intention of investigating the claims made against Evans because they were ‘completely untrue’.
Well , there’s two sides to every story…
