William Woollard was a presenter on the original format of Top Gear from Series 6 in 1981 through to Series 25 in 1991. He would appear in over 174 episodes, finishing with a one-off appearance for the show's 21st Anniversary in 1999, and would perform a variety of duties on the show, such as attending motor shows and driving the latest cars.
He would not often drive high-performance vehicles, if at all. Starting from 1988, he would be aided in his aforementioned role by newcomer Jeremy Clarkson, before Clarkson took over his role entirely upon his departure three years later.
At the time of his departure in 1991, he was the longest serving host of the show in terms of number of episodes, beaten only in longevity by female host Sue Baker, who first appeared in 1980, three series prior to Woollard's arrival. As of 2019 he remains the 7th most frequently appearing host.
| Full list of appearances | |
|---|---|
| 1977 format | |
| Series 6 | 6 episodes (7 total) |
| Series 7 | 8 episodes |
| Series 8 | 7 episodes |
| Series 9 | 9 episodes |
| Series 10 | 8 episodes |
| Series 11 | 9 episodes |
| Series 12 | 7 episodes |
| Series 13 | 9 episodes |
| Series 14 | 7 episodes (8 total) |
| Series 15 | 10 episodes |
| Series 16 | 9 episodes |
| Series 17 | 8 episodes |
| Series 18 | 12 episodes |
| Series 19 | 8 episodes |
| Series 20 | 9 episodes |
| Series 21 | 8 episodes |
| Series 22 | 11 episodes |
| Series 23 | 8 episodes |
| Series 24 | 10 episodes |
| Series 25 | 10 episodes |
Italicised rows indicate a series where this cast member was a guest or recurring host and not part of the main presenting team. Bold rows indicate a series where they were the main host.
In addition to Top Gear, Woollard also presented Rally Report for its first eight series, hosting over 58 episodes and 7 specials. After Top Gear, Woollard largely retired from show business as a whole, but did write and narrate for both series of Discovery Channel's Ghosthunters from 1996 to 1997, a show which formed the basis for the highly popular American series of an almost-identical name that premiered in 2004.
He is perhaps most fondly remembered for the pose which he'd finish each car review in. With the bonnet of the car in question lifted up, he'd rest his foot on top of the car's front bumper and turn to face the camera, an act which is known to its imitators as Woollarding. 22 years after his departure from the show, the act of Woollarding became an internet craze.
| Cast of Top Gear | |
|---|---|
| Present Cast | Chris Harris | Freddie Flintoff | Paddy McGuinness | The Stig |
| Former Cast (2002 format) | Sabine Schmitz | Eddie Jordan | Rory Reid | Matt LeBlanc | Chris Evans | James May | Richard Hammond | Jeremy Clarkson | Ben Collins | Top Gear Stunt Man | Top Gear Dog | Perry McCarthy | Jason Dawe |
| Former Cast (1977 format) | Andy Wilman | Jason Barlow | Tiff Needell | Vicki Butler-Henderson | Adrian Simpson | Quentin Willson | Kate Humble | Steve Berry | Julia Bradbury | Brendan Coogan | Tony Mason | Michele Newman | Jon Bentley | Chris Goffey | Janet Trewin | Nicky Fox | Steve Lee | William Woollard | Sue Baker | Beki Adam | Tom Boswell | Vic Allan | Frank Page | Peter Burgess | Bob Friend | Judith Jackson | Stewart Woodcock | Noel Edmonds | Mike Dornan | Gill Pyrah | Barrie Gill | Angela Rippon | Presenters with less than 5 appearances |