Chris Evans is "very close" to securing his 'Top Gear' co-hosts.

Chris Evans

Chris Evans

The BBC Radio 2 DJ, who was recently announced as the new presenter of the motoring show, has teased he is almost ready to reveal who will be joining him on the popular programme.

He told The Sun newspaper: "There's a lot of talk about talent at the moment. I have got to get that team. It's nearly in place. We're so very close."

The 49-year-old TV personality is set to take over from Jeremy Clarkson who was sacked earlier this year following a "fracas" with a producer, but Chris hinted not everything would be changing with the show as some features will stay.

He said: "I can't tell you what precisely. But it would be silly to throw the baby out with the bath water."

The 'TFI Friday' host went on to reveal it took him only 20 minutes to decide he would accept the job but now described it as "the most challenging thing" he has ever done, insisting it's even more difficult than when he took over the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show from Terry Wogan in 2010.

Explaining his acceptance of the job in an interview with Top Gear magazine, he said: "If I make television programmes for a living and love motor cars and love the biggest challenge in the world, why wouldn't I do it? So, 20 minutes later I phoned back and said, 'Yeah, I'll do it.'

"This is, without doubt, the most challenging thing I have ever done in my career.

"When I took over Terry's (Wogan) show, people kept saying I had 'big shoes to fill', and they're saying it again now.

"I don't mean they're wrong or they're right, it's just such a predictable thing to say - and, by the way, Jeremy is very tall, so they're even bigger shoes."