Fifth Gear - exclusive behind the scenes report

Fifth Gear is now in its 13th season on Channel Five

Tom Ford, Vicki Butler Henderson, Tiff Needell and Jonny Smith have returned for a new series of Channel Five’s Fifth Gear.

Vijay Pattni went behind the scenes at the Ace Café in North London to meet the stars – and find out what’s coming up in the new series.

Click here for our exclusive Fifth Gear slide show

A 20ft long Lincoln Continental cruises past the Ace Café in North London.

Presenter Tom Ford – with extra sensory perception – spins round and screams at co-presenter and self-confessed ‘car pervert’ Jonny Smith to look at the car. The soundman groans and the director yells “CUT!”

But the director’s stern face doesn’t deter the two car-nuts – sometimes, sexy cars mean filming takes a back seat.

A murky winter’s morning at the famous Ace Café – home to Fifth Gear since series ten – means the rest of the scenes have to be shot inside.
 
As the camera crew wheel in the equipment, Vicki Butler-Henderson explains.

“It’s a little strange when it’s cold like today”, she says. “We’re all wrapped up in overcoats, but if someone saw it on a hot day it comes across weird.”

The show

Fifth Gear is now in its 13th season on Channel Five. The show first aired in 2002 as a replacement for BBC 2’s hit motoring show Top Gear, which had been taken off the air.

Since then, Vicki Butler-Henderson, Tom Ford and Tiff Needell have turned the fledgling show into must-see motoring television.

Tom ‘Wookie’ Ford shattered the bones in his foot during filming last year when his modified Bedford Rascal van careered into a safety barrier.

“The presenters were really helpful when I had the accident”, explains Tom, as we walk inside the Ace Café.

His passion for cars and down-to-earth nature shine through as an enthusiastic onlooker jostles for his attention and the two start nattering about 300bhp Ford Focus’.

“Sorry mate – I just love people who love cars”, Tom says.

As Jonny ‘car-pervert’ Smith finishes up his lines, the two share their dreams of the ultimate Fifth Gear feature.

“What about recreating the famous scene from The Man With The Golden Gun”, Jonny enthuses, “when the AMC Hornet barrel rolls over the bridge?”.

Tom and Jonny share a laugh as Vicki rolls her eyes into the back of her head, and it’s clear as I watch the team film they have a great camaraderie on and off the screen.

New Series

And what has one of the sexiest presenters on television got in store for us?

“We’re recreating the famous barrel-roll crash scene from Casino Royale”, Vicki said.

Fans of 2006’s hit Bond adventure will remember the notorious crash where the gorgeous Aston Martin DBS was launched into the air and barrel-rolled seven times, making it into the Guinness Book of World Records.

“I’m sat inside this massive ‘rolling machine’”, Vicki explains, “which recreates what the stunt drivers have to do.

“It’s a lot of fun – but quite scary!”

“We’re also sending Jonny out to Poland to see if he can make it on one tank of diesel”, Vicki says.
 
But far from worrying about running out of fuel while driving, Jonny had bigger problems playing on his mind.

“I desperately needed to pee”, he explains. “In the end, I couldn’t wait, so I just went on the side of the road, while all these people were watching me, walking past.”

And Jonny is being put through his paces again testing the cutesy little Mazda 2 – with the help of Britain’s Strongest Man Terry Hollands.

“He was a nice bloke”, Jonny enthuses.

As is Tom, who summons me during filming for the last segments.

The director sits me right behind Tom and Vicki as I casually play the part of “man with newspaper”.
 
“Get his sexy head in there” Tom screams, as I carefully thumb the sheets of The Times, trying not to look at the camera.

The director checks everyone’s position and yells “ACTION!”

The new series of Fifth Gear is on Channel Five on Mondays at 8pm.

Click here for our exclusive Fifth Gear slide show