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The cult character, who never speaks or removes his white suit and white helmet, is a key part of the show and recently featured in a .

The BBC does not comment on speculation about the Stig's identity, and although it is known in motoring circles, newspapers have until now held to a convention of not naming him.

The Star's piece outed Ben Collins, a former American speedway driver and stuntman who doubled for Daniel Craig in the latest James Bond film.

It has now been followed up by the Telegraph, Times and Daily Mail, as well as online media outlets in other countries.

It is the second time the Stig's identity has been revealed. The black-suited first Stig, former Formula One driver Perry McCarthy, was fired after revealing his identity in his 2002 autobiography 'Flat Out, Flat Broke'.