Jeremy Clarkson is set to make his return to television nearly three months after he was sacked, on Chris Evans’ Channel 4 special ‘TFI Friday’ on June 12th. However, contrary to rumours doing the rounds, Evans is not making a film for ‘Top Gear’.

On Sunday, the radio DJ sparked a frenzy of speculation that he was to take over the vacant presenting spot on BBC2, after he told Tim Lovejoy on C4’s ‘Sunday Brunch’ that he was making a “secret ‘Top Gear’ film. However, the BBC confirmed on Monday (June 8th) that whatever Evans was up to, the ‘film’ hadn’t been commissioned by them.

Jeremy Clarkson Chris EvansJeremy Clarkson with Chris Evans back in May 2015

It’s therefore now believed that Evans’ project is an unofficial film that only has anything to do with ‘Top Gear’ insofar that it’s going to feature Clarkson, who was fired from the actual BBC series back in March after that “fracas” with one of the show’s producers.

More: Jeremy Clarkson technically free to return to the BBC, says head of BBC Two

BBC Radio 2 DJ Evans, who is a big petrolhead and a frequent guest on ‘Top Gear’, replied to Lovejoy’s remark that the project is “not so secret now” by saying: “It still will be, because nobody knows where it’s going to be. We’re making a ‘Top Gear’ – we’re doing a ‘Top Gear’ sequence with an independent production company and we’re going to see how it goes.”

Clarkson himself made a joke about the ‘Top Gear’ film, taking to Twitter later on Sunday to say: “Next week, I'm doing a pilot Radio 2 breakfast show with an independent production company. We'll see how it goes.”

Well, we’ll have to see what happens on Friday. Evans is fronting a one-off 20th anniversary special of the popular show, which he used to present until it was cancelled in December 2000. Clarkson is due to be a special guest, along with the Liam Gallagher / Roger Daltrey / Ian Broudie / Zak Starkey supergroup that was also confirmed on Monday.

At the Canadian Grand Prix at the weekend, the F1 team Manor Marussia had the side of their cars emblazoned with the red ‘TFI Friday’ logo, a picture of which was tweeted by Evans himself with British driver Will Stevens standing beside his car.

As for ‘Top Gear’, nobody yet knows its fate, other than it is due to return to BBC screens next year. The next series may or may not feature Richard Hammond and James May, who were reported to have received a lucrative £4.6 million overture to sign back with the BBC, after both of their contracts had expired. Netflix, ITV and Sky are also rumoured to be looking to sign up the full team of Clarkson, Hammond and May, along with executive producer Andy Wilman who also departed.

More: Have Richard Hammond and James May been offered £4.6 million to continue ‘Top Gear’ on BBC without Jeremy Clarkson?