Chris Harris (journalist)

{{Infobox person

| name = Chris Harris

| image = File:Chris Harris (journalist).jpg

| caption = Harris at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show

| birth_name = Christopher James Harris

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1975|01|20|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England

| alma_mater = Clifton College

| occupation = Journalist, racing driver, presenter

| years_active = 2002–present

| children = 3

}}

Christopher James Harris (born 20 January 1975) is a British automotive journalist, professional racing driver and television presenter.{{Cite web|title = Chris Harris - Racing career profile - Driver Database|url = https://www.driverdb.com/drivers/chris-harris/|website = www.driverdb.com|access-date = 30 October 2015}} Harris has worked as a reviewer, writer and editor for multiple automotive magazines, including Evo, Autocar and Jalopnik.{{Cite web|title = Chris Harris|url = https://kinja.com/chris-harris|website = Kinja.com| date=13 April 2015 |access-date = 30 October 2015}} He has presented numerous television and YouTube series through NBCSN and DRIVE.

Since 2017, Harris has been one of the three main presenters of Top Gear, after previously making regular appearances throughout the twenty-third series in 2016.{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2016/07/03/patrick-dempsey-belts-up-for-top-gear-final-episode/ | title=Top Gear finale: Matt LeBlanc shone but where were the women? | newspaper=The Telegraph | date=4 July 2016 | access-date=4 July 2016 | author=Blumsom, Amy}} He has his own YouTube Channel, Chris Harris on Cars, in which he and Neil Carey produce and film their own automotive reviews and content. On 28 June 2016, the Chris Harris on Cars web series was moved from YouTube to the official Top Gear website and in July 2016, Chris Harris on Cars was launched on BBC America.{{Cite web|url=http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/entertainment/news/a29534/chris-harris-on-cars-top-gear/|title=Top Gear Is Giving Chris Harris His Own Drifty, Tire-Smokey Online Series|date=2016-06-14|access-date=2016-07-17}}

Early life and education

Harris's father was an accountant and his mother an autocross racer.{{Cite web|date=2016-07-11|title=Me and My Motor: Chris Harris, the new star of Top Gear, on his life in cars|url=https://www.driving.co.uk/news/interview/motor-chris-harris-new-star-top-gear/|access-date=2021-03-22|website=Driving.co.uk from The Sunday Times|language=en-GB}}{{Cite web|date=2016-04-02|title=Meet your TG TV presenters: Q&A with Chris Harris|url=https://www.topgear.com/car-news/top-gear-tv/meet-your-tg-tv-presenters-qa-chris-harris|access-date=2021-03-22|website=Top Gear|language=en}} He was educated at Clifton College, Bristol.{{Cite web|title=Newsletter May 2016|url=http://oc-online.co.uk/uk/cliftoncollege/uploads/files/eNewsletterMay2016.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211227232304/http://oc-online.co.uk/uk/cliftoncollege/uploads/files/eNewsletterMay2016.pdf |archive-date=27 December 2021 }} He was adopted as a child.

Journalism

Harris began his career in the automotive industry working for Autocar,{{Cite web|title = Drifting, Racing & Reviewing. A Look At Chris Harris.|url = http://gearheads.org/drifting-racing-reviewing-look-chris-harris/|website = Gearheads|access-date = 30 October 2015|archive-date = 6 August 2017|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170806181706/https://gearheads.org/drifting-racing-reviewing-look-chris-harris/|url-status = dead}} performing various menial tasks, or, as he himself describes it, "cleaning ashtrays".{{Cite web|title = Chris Harris – The man behind the wheel « CAR magazine Blog|url = http://www.carmagblog.co.za/car-shootout/the-man-behind-the-wheel/|website = www.carmagblog.co.za|access-date = 30 October 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151020171232/http://www.carmagblog.co.za/car-shootout/the-man-behind-the-wheel/|archive-date = 20 October 2015|url-status = dead}} Eventually, he was promoted to an official road-test editor position within Autocar and gained recognition and credibility as a journalist by writing many automotive reviews, as well as a regular opinion column. At Autocar Harris earned the nickname of "Monkey", a reference to an unseen character "Monkey" Harris in Only Fools and Horses.{{Cite web|url=http://www.autocar.co.uk/blogs/anything-goes/why-chris-harris-perfect-fit-top-gear|title=Why Chris Harris is a perfect fit for Top Gear {{!}} Autocar|website=www.autocar.co.uk|access-date=2016-07-17}} In 2008, Harris left Autocar magazine to co-found a new web-based digital platform called Drivers Republic. A year later, the enterprise ceased operations. In a statement, Drivers Republic explained the abrupt termination was due to "differences in our vision about future priorities". Immediately after the shutdown, Harris joined Evo as a writer and reviewer, publishing his first article there on 12 October 2009.{{Cite web|title = Chris Harris|url = http://www.evo.co.uk/authors/chris-harris|website = Evo|access-date = 30 October 2015}} His features for Evo were published every few months until 21 December 2011, and he resumed writing for Evo regularly on 10 April 2015.

Subsequently, Harris created an opinion and review YouTube series in partnership with /DRIVE. This new series aired weekly (starting in early 2012) on /DRIVE's YouTube channel, called /CHRIS HARRIS ON CARS.{{Cite web|title = PHer presents YouTube channel {{!}} PistonHeads|url = http://www.pistonheads.com/news/general-pistonheads/pher-presents-youtube-channel/24890|website = www.pistonheads.com|access-date = 30 October 2015}} Each episode featured a different car, either owned by Harris, or loaned to /DRIVE temporarily by the manufacturer. The series greatly expanded /DRIVE's viewership, with 104 videos together amassing over 3,500,000 views in two years.{{Cite web|title = /CHRIS HARRIS ON CARS - YouTube|url = https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL239B84BD346EEEFA|website = www.youtube.com|access-date = 30 October 2015}} After two years of hosting automotive videos, Harris left the network in 2014 to create his own YouTube channel. He maintained a positive relationship with /DRIVE, remaining "a close friend of the /DRIVE brand".{{Cite web|title = Chris Harris Steers Away from /Drive to Open His Own YouTube Channel|url = http://www.carscoops.com/2014/10/chris-harris-steers-away-from-drive-to.html|website = Carscoops|access-date = 30 October 2015|date = 14 October 2014}}{{Cite web|title = Chris Harris's Jalopnik Column, On Jalopnik|url = http://jalopnik.com/chris-harriss-jalopnik-column-on-jalopnik-1654408176|website = Jalopnik| date=6 November 2014 |access-date = 31 October 2015}}{{Cite web|title = Statement from Chris Harris|url = http://chris-harris.kinja.com/statement-from-chris-harris-1645507716|website = Chris Harris|access-date = 31 October 2015|archive-date = 2 October 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151002085238/http://chris-harris.kinja.com/statement-from-chris-harris-1645507716|url-status = dead}}

On 27 October 2014,{{Cite web|title = Chris Harris on Cars|url = https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8AMAhCRmep7VJKe1sxvHFg|website = YouTube|access-date = 30 October 2015}} Harris' YouTube channel, Chris Harris on Cars, was created. Harris partnered with longtime colleague and cameraman and editor Neil Carey and still shoots all Chris Harris on Cars (commonly abbreviated "CHOC") independently. Chris Harris on Cars has over 440,000 YouTube subscribers and nearly 45,000,000 views. In addition, on 6 November 2014, Harris began writing for Jalopnik, an online automotive blog administrated by Kinja. Harris also has since partnered with /DRIVE through NBCSN and now appears on that channel, reviewing cars and taking part in automotive-related activities with other hosts, on a regular basis.

Television

In February 2016, Harris officially joined the new cast of Top Gear.{{Cite web|url=http://www.topgear.com/car-news/top-gear-tv/meet-your-new-top-gear-presenters|title=Meet your new Top Gear presenters!|date=2016-02-11|access-date=2016-07-17|archive-date=5 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905090634/http://www.topgear.com/car-news/top-gear-tv/meet-your-new-top-gear-presenters|url-status=dead}} Harris served as a recurring presenter for the television show in 2016, but was promoted to a main presenter following the resignation of Chris Evans. From the twenty-fourth series, he presented the series alongside co-hosts Matt LeBlanc and Rory Reid.{{cite web |url = https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-39178038 |title = Top Gear: What did the critics think of the new series? |publisher = BBC |author = BBC Entertainment News |date = 2017-03-06 |access-date = 2018-12-22}} As of the twenty-seventh series, he hosts the show alongside Freddie Flintoff and Paddy McGuinness.{{Cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-45937945 | title=McGuinness and Flintoff join Top Gear| work=BBC News| date=22 October 2018}}

Motor racing

File:Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 991 of Warren Luff.JPG

Harris has had an extensive racing career. He won his first race in a Formula Palmer Audi in 2000.{{Cite web|title = Chris Harris at the Ring 24 hours|url = http://www.evo.co.uk/news/evonews/251863/chris_harris_at_the_ring_24_hours.html|website = Evo|access-date = 31 October 2015}} Some of the racing cars he has driven include a Porsche 911 Cup, Renault Sport R.S. 01, Aston Martin Vantage GT12, Van Diemen FF1600, Rover SD1 and a Jaguar E-Type.{{Cite web|title = Six Hours of Spa, 18 to 20 September 2015|url = http://www.ris-timing.be/v2/six-hours-of-spa-18-to-20-september-2015/|website = www.ris-timing.be|access-date = 31 October 2015}} He has also raced in endurance races like the 24 Hours Nürburgring in 2010 and 2015. He was on the Glickenhaus team for 2016, but their car was crashed during a practice session.{{Cite web|url=http://www.andreassimonsen.com/scuderia-cameron-glickenhaus-prepares-for-the-nurburgring-24-hours-on-three-car-debut/|title=Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus prepares for the Nurburgring 24 Hours on three-car debut {{!}} Andreas Simonsen {{!}} A Swedish Race Driver|website=www.andreassimonsen.com|access-date=6 June 2016|archive-date=5 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905090646/https://www.andreassimonsen.com/scuderia-cameron-glickenhaus-prepares-for-the-nurburgring-24-hours-on-three-car-debut/|url-status=dead}} Harris often makes videos about the races he is attempting: sometimes teaching basic race techniques and other times simply sharing his experiences.

=Britcar 24 Hour results=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%"
Year ! Team ! Co-Drivers ! Car ! {{Tooltip\|Car No.\|Car number}} ! Class ! Laps ! {{Tooltip\|Pos.\|Overall Position}} ! {{Tooltip\|Class Pos.\|Class Position}}
style="text-align:center;" ! 2007 \|align="left"\| {{flagicon\|GBR}} Paragon Motorsport \|align="left"\| {{flagicon\|GBR}} Andrew Purdie {{flagicon\|GBR}} Adrian Slater {{flagicon\|GBR}} Mark Sumpter \|align="left"\| Porsche 996 GT3 Cup \| 39 \| GTC \| 564 \| style="background:#ffdf9f;"\|3rd \| style="background:#ffffbf;"\|1st

class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%"

Year

! Team

! Co-Drivers

! Car

! {{Tooltip|Car No.|Car number}}

! Class

! Laps

! {{Tooltip|Pos.|Overall Position}}

! {{Tooltip|Class
Pos.|Class Position}}

style="text-align:center;"

! 2007

|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} Paragon Motorsport

|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} Andrew Purdie
{{flagicon|GBR}} Adrian Slater
{{flagicon|GBR}} Mark Sumpter

|align="left"| Porsche 996 GT3 Cup

| 39

| GTC

| 564

| style="background:#ffdf9f;"|3rd

| style="background:#ffffbf;"|1st

= 24 Hours Nürburgring results =

class="wikitable"

!Year

!Final Position

!Car

!Races

!Team

2010

|13th

|Porsche 911 GT3 RS

|Porsche

2015

|{{font color

#EFDFFF|DNF}}

|Aston Martin Vantage GT12

|Aston Martin

2016

|{{font color

#EFDFFF|DNF}}

|Glickenhaus P4/5 Competizione

|Glickenhaus

Harris often discuss technical racing terms in his non-racing focused videos. Harris also emphasises the importance of driving and racing safety in many of his videos, especially when teaching techniques like drifting.{{Cite web|url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LpPc8qutCA|title = How To Drift, BMW M235i|access-date = 31 October 2015|last = Harris|first = Chris| website=YouTube | date=30 July 2014 }}

=Blancpain GT Series Endurance Amateur Cup results=

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%; text-align:center;"
rowspan=2\| Year !rowspan=2\| Team !rowspan=2\| Car !rowspan=2\| MNZ {{flagicon\|ITA}} !rowspan=2\| SIL {{flagicon\|GBR}} !rowspan=2\| LEC {{flagicon\|FRA}} !colspan=3\| SPA {{flagicon\|BEL}} !rowspan=2\| NÜR {{flagicon\|DEU}} !rowspan=2\| Points !rowspan=2\| Position
{{Tooltip\|6hrs\|Points after six hours}} ! {{Tooltip\|12hrs\|Points after twelve hours}} ! {{Tooltip\|24hrs\|Points at the finish}}
align="center" \| 2016 \| align="center" \| Team Parker Racing \| align="center" \| Bentley Continental GT3 \|style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| Ret \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| 40 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| 32 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| 61 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| 53 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| 54 \|style="background:#DFDFDF;"\| 34 ! 48 ! 6th
align="center" \| 2017 \| align="center" \| Garage 59 \| align="center" \| McLaren 650S GT3 \| \|style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| NC \| \| \| \| \| ! !

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%; text-align:center;"

rowspan=2| Year

!rowspan=2| Team

!rowspan=2| Car

!rowspan=2| MNZ
{{flagicon|ITA}}

!rowspan=2| SIL
{{flagicon|GBR}}

!rowspan=2| LEC
{{flagicon|FRA}}

!colspan=3| SPA
{{flagicon|BEL}}

!rowspan=2| NÜR
{{flagicon|DEU}}

!rowspan=2| Points

!rowspan=2| Position

! {{Tooltip|12hrs|Points after twelve hours}}

! {{Tooltip|24hrs|Points at the finish}}

align="center" | 2016

| align="center" | Team Parker Racing

| align="center" | Bentley Continental GT3

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| Ret

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 40

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 32

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 61

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 53

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 54

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 34

! 48

! 6th

align="center" | 2017

| align="center" | Garage 59

| align="center" | McLaren 650S GT3

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| NC

Acquisitions and funding

= Acquisitions =

While Harris has owned several exotic cars, such as a Ferrari FF,{{Cite web|title = Chris Harris reviews his personal, two-year-old Ferrari FF [w/video]|url = http://www.autoblog.com/2014/12/27/chris-harris-personal-ferrari-ff-review-video/|website = Autoblog|access-date = 31 October 2015|first = Jonathon|last = Ramsey| date=27 December 2014 }} most of the cars Harris reviews are loaned to him by manufacturers. Manufacturers often give automotive journalists press cars,{{Cite web|title = The Truth About Press Cars|url = http://jalopnik.com/the-truth-about-press-cars-1714460086|website = Jalopnik| date=29 June 2015 |access-date = 31 October 2015}} in the hope that a reviewer will give the new car a positive review that boost the car's sales. Harris receives many press cars, sometimes for extended periods of time.{{Cite web|title = 174mph and room for the dog. RS6 is the ultimate all-rounder, says Chris Harris|url = https://grrc.goodwood.com/road/drives-and-rides/audi-rs6-chris-harris#y57ylJ48pThYPQqD.97|website = Goodwood Road & Racing|access-date = 31 October 2015}} Harris has even received cars for up to six months, such as an Audi RS 6. Harris is often characterised as passionate and comical in his reviews of press cars, saying in one review of the Audi RS 6: "life is incomplete without you".

= Funding =

In Harris's early career, magazines such as Autocar and Evo paid him for his writing as a journalist. As his career progressed, Harris began to branch out on his own. Throughout the production of Chris Harris on Cars on the Drive YouTube channel, he depended partially on sponsorship from various brands and through YouTube advertising revenue. Eventually, the Drive channel switched partially to Drive+, a paid subscription channel.{{Cite web|title = Ask /DRIVE Anything About Its New Subscription Channel On YouTube|url = http://drive.jalopnik.com/ask-drive-anything-about-its-new-subscription-channel-1613336682|website = /DRIVE|access-date = 31 October 2015|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151112170814/http://drive.jalopnik.com/ask-drive-anything-about-its-new-subscription-channel-1613336682|archive-date = 12 November 2015|df = dmy-all}} In his current production series, Chris Harris on Cars, Harris supports both himself and cameraman/editor Neil Carey.{{Cite web|title = Support Chris Harris creating Videos|url = https://www.patreon.com/user?u=401656&ty=a|website = Patreon|access-date = 31 October 2015}} Occasionally, Harris posts videos featuring sponsored content, from brands like Pirelli.{{Cite web|url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrLQpAt5Mes|title = Pirelli P-Zero Trofeo R tyre test.|access-date = 31 October 2015|last = Harris|first = Chris| website=YouTube | date=28 January 2015 }} He also receives compensation from NBCSN for his regular television series, Drive.

Filmography

class="wikitable"

|+Television

!Year

!Title

!Role

!Notes

2014–2018

|/Drive on NBCSN

| rowspan="6" |Presenter

|22 episodes

2015

|Fifth Gear

|1 episode

2016

|APEX: The Story of the Hypercar

|One-off

2016–2022

|Top Gear

|11 series

2016–2017

|Extra Gear

|2 series (13 episodes)

2016

|Chris Harris on Cars

|1 series (7 episodes)

2018

|Good Morning Britain

| rowspan="2" |Guest

|1 episode

2018–2019

|The One Show

|2 episodes

2019

|Insert Name Here

|Participant

|1 episode

2021, 2023{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/programme/b-pu2igw/sunday-brunch-season-2023/?episode=b-9fyxbe|title=Sunday Brunch|website=radiotimes.com|accessdate=12 November 2023}}

|Sunday Brunch

|Guest

|2 episodes

2024

|Paddy And Chris: Road Tripping

|Co-presenter

|With Paddy McGuinness; 1 series (three episodes){{cite web | title=Paddy and Chris: Road Tripping - Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris reflect on their epic quest to crack the code of aging well | website=bbc.co.uk/mediacentre | date=24 September 2024 | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/paddy-and-chris-road-tripping | access-date=26 September 2024}}

class="wikitable"

|+Video games

!Year

!Title

!Developer

!Role

2019

|Forza Horizon 4

|Playground Games

|Voice over

References

External links

{{IMDb name|id=6489377|name=Chris Harris}}
[https://www.youtube.com/user/drive /DRIVE], YouTube channel.
[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8AMAhCRmep7VJKe1sxvHFg Chris Harris on Cars], YouTube channel.
[http://www.evo.co.uk/porsche/911-gt3/10626/porsche-gt3-cup-racer Chris Harris' First Article], Evo, October 2009.

Category:Living people

Category:1975 births

Category:Motoring journalists

Category:British journalists

Category:British motoring journalists

Category:British television presenters

Category:English adoptees

Category:People from Beaconsfield

Category:People educated at Clifton College

Category:ASCAR drivers

Category:Britcar 24-hour drivers

Category:Nürburgring 24 Hours drivers

Category:Porsche Carrera Cup Germany drivers

Category:24 Hours of Spa drivers

Category:YouTubers from Buckinghamshire