The Stig 'preparing to reveal identity'

Jeremy Clarkson has claimed that his Top Gear co-star The Stig will finally be unmasked in tonight's episode.

The identity of the test driver, who wears a white racing suit and white crash helmet, has remained a mystery for years, prompting several theories about who is really under the mask.

Writing in The Sun, host Clarkson said: "Stig barges into the studio and in an atmosphere that you could cut with a knife removes his helmet.

"Hardened, emotionless camera crews said the hair on the back of their neck prickled. As a television moment, it's up there with Neil Armstrong walking on the... corpse of J.R. Ewing."

Reports had previously suggested that The Stig was actually portrayed by four different individuals, while others have claimed that he is a Norwegian or French racing driver.

Last year, the query 'Who is The Stig?' was revealed to be one of the most frequently searched questions on the internet.