British TV and radio star Chris Evans said on Monday he was leaving BBC motoring show Top Gear after his first series at the helm ended with audiences at an all-time low.

Yesterday, he dedicated his morning radio show to his ex-colleagues, advising them to “move on” without him.

Speaking to listeners, he said: “Today’s show is dedicated to all the Top Gear gang. And today’s show is entitled ‘Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On’.”

In a tweet on Monday, Evans said he was stepping aside, adding that he had given it his best shot but “sometimes that’s not enough”.

He praised the team behind the multimillion-pound programme, which is the BBC’s biggest earner.

Evans’s decision to resign came amid widespread reports that Scotland Yard has received an allegation of sexual assault against the presenter dating back to the 1990s.

The final episode of the revamped motoring show aired on Sunday after a rocky ride during its return without Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond.

My best wasn’t good enough

The six-episode series was beset by unfavourable reviews, crashing ratings and reports of a breakdown in the relationship between the two lead hosts.

A BBC spokesman said the plan was to continue with the current line-up of presenters in Evans’s absence.

It leaves former Friends star Matt LeBlanc as the main host, along with racing driver Sabine Schmitz, Formula One presenter Eddie Jordan, YouTube star Chris Harris, car enthusiast Rory Reid and The Stig.

Evans made a brief reference to his Top Gear exit while reading out the newspaper headlines during the breakfast show.

“I’ve got to go here, so bear with me,” he told listeners, quoting the Daily Mirror front page: “Evans quits Top Gear: My best wasn’t good enough.”

Perry McCarthy, the original Stig, said Evans had “just not gelled with the audience”.