Who is Fifth Gear presenter Tiff Needell and where is he now?
TIFF Needell is a British racing driver turned television presenter.
Off our screens, he’s also a husband and father — here’s what we know.
Who is Fifth Gear presenter Tiff Needell?
Timothy “Tiff” Needell is a British former racing driver and television presenter, who has appeared on Top Gear, Fifth Gear, and Lovecars.
He was born on October 29, 1951, in Hampshire, England.
Before his career as a racing driver kicked off, Tiff studied civil engineering at City University in London, during which he worked on the construction of the M5 motorway.
Tiff’s racing career began at Formula Ford in the early 70s, after he won a Lotus 69 FF in an Autosport Magazine competition.
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He then moved on to Formula 3, where he stayed until graduating to Formula 1 in 1980.
Tiff drove two Grands Prix for the Ensign team — which shut down in 1983 — and qualified for the Belgian Grand Prix at Circuit Zolder.
He then saw some success at Le Mans, achieving his best result in 1990, coming in at third, driving a Porsche.
The driver raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans 14 times in total.
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Tiff went on to spend a few years driving in the British Touring Car Championship with Nissan but returned to sports cars in 1995 to race at Le Mans.
Tiff went on to race in the GT Championship, Silverstone Golden Jubilee Trophy race, Daytona, Le Mans again, Donington Park, and the 2000 FIA GT Championship at Zolder.
Alongside his racing career, Tiff has worked as a television presenter, starting with BBC’s Top Gear, where he started in 1987.
In 2001, when Top Gear was rebooted by the BBC, Tiff, along with other cast members, moved to Channel 5 to host a new rival car show, Fifth Gear.
Fifth Gear was cancelled by Channel 5 in 2016, and moved to Quest in 2018 — but the 2019 did not include Needell as part of the cast.
Reacting to the news on Twitter, Tiff said, in a post now pinned to the top of his profile:
“Unfortunately someone @DiscoveryUK has decided @FifthGearTV will be a better show without me. Sad time for me as I was pivotal in the creation of the programme”.
Tiff often takes to Twitter, known as X, to comment on F1 — in October 2023, he called Lance Stroll a “spoiled child”.
Where is Tiff Needell now?
After the 2019 Fifth Gear disappointment, Tiff started working as a presenter of Lovecars, which originated on YouTube.
In 2020, the YouTube show moved to ITV as a fully-fledged series called Lovecars: On The Road.
The second series of On The Road — which Tiff presents alongside co-presenter Paul Woodman — broadcast on ITV4 in August 2023.
To go with the television series, Tiff and Paul present the Lovecars On the Grid podcast, available on podcast platforms and YouTube, in which they discuss all things F1, motorsports, and cars.
What is Tiff Needell's net worth?
Tiff has an estimated net worth of between $1 million and $3 million, or just over £2.3 million.
Details of the salary Tiff has earned from his various TV presenting posts have not been made public.
However, Tiff has a garage full of memorabilia from his racing days — including the Formula Ford Lotus 69 FF that he won when he was 19, that he bought back in 2014.
Who is Tiff Needell's wife Patsy and do they have any children?
Tiff Needell is married to Patsy, and they live together in Wiltshire.
The pair have three sons, Jack, born in 1992, Harry, born in 1996, and George, born in 1999.
Eldest son, Jack, works as a musician and filmmaker.
Patsy Needell does not have a public online presence but often accompanies her husband to events.
What other shows has Tiff Needell appeared on?
Before his post at Fifth Gear, Tiff was a key presenter on the original Top Gear, from series 17 in 1987 to series 45 in 2001.
Overall, he appeared in over 23 episodes and often took on the professional driving scenes thanks to his F1 experience.
In series 27, Tiff was made a main Top Gear cast member.
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Despite moving to Fifth Gear in 2001, he appeared in the 2005 Top Gear Comic Relief special.
In October 2023, Top Gear was axed after 46 years after presenter Freddie Flintoff was seriously injured in a crash.