FRIENDS actor Matt LeBlanc is to join Chris Evans as a presenter on the new series of Top Gear.

Evans confirmed the news as he tweeted a picture of himself, LeBlanc and The Stig.

The revamped version of the BBC show is due to air in May.

LeBlanc said: "As a car nut and a massive fan of Top Gear, I'm honoured and excited to be a part of this iconic show's new chapter. What a thrill!"

Evans said LeBlanc, who is best known for his role as goofy lothario Joey in Friends, is a "lifelong petrolhead".

"Acting out our craziest car notions on screen is a dream job and I know we'll both be debating some epic road trip ideas," Evans said.

LeBlanc appeared on the original show in 2012 and set the fastest-ever time for their Star in a Reasonably Priced Car segment.

According to the official Top Gear website, he set an unbeaten lap time of 1m 42.1s in a Kia cee'd.

LeBlanc is no stranger to presenting for Top Gear and recently hosted a spin-off called Top Gear: The Races.

The seven-episode series saw the American actor going through the stand-out racing moments from the first 21 series of the show.