Tiff Needell
One of four presenters on Fifth Gear, Tiff also presents Five's series on Ultimate Machines and was a panellist on our motoring reality show, Be a Grand Prix Driver.
His television career started in the mid 1980s at the BBC, as part of the motor racing commentary team for Grandstand where he worked alongside Murray Walker. In the spring of 1987, he became part of the BBC2 Top Gear team, where he remained until joining Five. In the early 1990s, he also hosted live studio coverage of NASCAR and Indycar for Sky.
Tiff started writing track tests and feature stories for Autosport magazine in the early 1980s, before leaving for Top Gear magazine. He currently writes for Autocar magazine.
Before he embarked upon his television career, Tiff, of course, was a Formula One driver. He started racing in 1971, and after winning the Premier Grovewood Award in 1976, he turned professional. He drove for the Unipart Formula 3 Team, then the team Ensign in the 1980 Grand Prix. He made his Le Mans 24 Hours debut in 1981.
After achieving third place at Le Mans in 1990, driving a privately entered Porsche 962, Tiff switched to touring cars in 1993 and 1994. From 1996 to 2000, he raced for the Newcastle United-sponsored Lister Storm team.
Tiff was born in Havant, England. He now lives in Petersfield with wife Patsy and his three sons, Jack, Harry and George.
Source:
http://www.five.tv/programmes/fifthgear/presenters/