'Top Gear' boss Andy Wilman has resigned.

Former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson

Former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson

The 52-year-old executive producer has quit the show after his close friend, presenter Jeremy Clarkson, was axed from the series last month following a fracas with producer Oisin Tymon.

It was first reported Andy was planning to quit the show in March after an email he sent to staff recalling fond memories of his time on the programme was made public, although he denied the rumour at the time.

In the message he wrote: "We had a lot of laughs, we had a lot of tiffs. We went to amazing places and we went to some s***holes.

"We nearly killed a presenter, we had to run for the border. We started off with whoever we could get in the Reasonably Priced Car and ended up with Tom Cruise."

A spokesperson for the BBC has since confirmed that Andy has handed in his resignation.

Meanwhile, Jeremy's co-star James May recently spoke out about his friend's exit and insists 'Top Gear' without Jeremy, 55, just "wouldn't work".

James, 52, who also stars on the show with Richard Hammond, thinks it's "virtually impossible" for someone to do a good job of replacing his former co-host.

He said: "Me and (Richard) Hammond with a surrogate Jeremy is a non-starter, it just wouldn't work ... it has to be the three of us. I don't think you could carry on with two people and put someone in as the new Jeremy because they are not going to be the new Jeremy. That would be short sighted and I don't think it would work. Virtually impossible."