Chris Harris still remembers watching his ‘Top Gear’ co-host Matt LeBlanc from the comfort of his sofa during the 1990s.
The 43-year-old journalist works alongside the former ‘Friends’ star – who played Joey Tribbiani in the comedy – on the BBC motoring show and has admitted he still has to pinch himself when he realises that he’s now part of the actor’s presenting team.
Speaking at the launch of the new series of ‘Top Gear’ at The May Fair Hotel in London on Monday night (19.02.18), Chris told BANG Showbiz: "I’m of that age when I spent the majority of the early 90s lying on a sofa as a student watching him.
"And so to suddenly find yourself working alongside him, sharing jokes with him, being the butt of his practical jokes and all the other stuff, is … brilliant. It’s surreal.
"You do have your pinch-yourself moments when you go, ‘Did I really just call him that?’ But he is very accommodating."
Chris revealed that the sight of Matt, 50, shooting scenes for ‘Top Gear’ in little-known parts of England left the local residents in a state of shock, too.
The TV star explained that when they recognised Matt, the residents would often shout his iconic catchphrase from his time on ‘Friends’.
Chris – who co-presents the programme alongside Matt and Rory Reid – recalled: "I drove through Hazlemere town centre in a bright orange tractor with him driving it. And people were thinking, ‘Is that Joey from ‘Friends’?’
"As we were leaving them behind, it would dawn on them who it was and they would shout a really bad, ‘How you doing?’ at the tractor. The whole thing was totally surreal.
"On the serious side, he’s the ultimate professional, he’s accommodating, and he helps us so much."
Chris Harris recalls watching Matt LeBlanc during his student days
