The world’s most widely watched factual show to be hosted by a YouTuber.

Have you heard of BBC’s automotive show “Top Gear”? It started in 1977, but really took off following a 2002 relaunch and I’ve personally tried to watch it as often as possible myself in the past few years. It has been extremely successful and popular, but suffered various issues in the past few months, which resulted in the departure of its three hosts (who will be creating an independent spin-off on Amazon, a move I will have to cover soon too).

The hosts that will replace the trio were announced in the past months but one stands out, announced just before Christmas: Chris Harris.

Heard about him? Maybe not, but that’s not because he hasn’t travelled the road. He is a successful YouTuber and journalist who has been covering the auto industry for many years now.

But if you look at him, you’ll see he is not your usual millennial YouTuber. He’s a Gen X, and much of his audience are Gen X and Y.

And that is what interested the BBC.

In the past years, there has been a massive shift in how traditional media sees online reach and online stars.

In today’s article, Juan Bruce takes a look at what this new appointment means, how it is a testament to how the media industry is shaping up.

“Welcome to 2016, where online following and social media community may just be the key to helping traditional formats and entertainment companies stay relevant.”