A wee problem? No, I was just letting my hair down

M-way piddle and brandy swigging just part of relief at end of Top Gear pressure Marriage strong as ever despite reports

There were fears the Radio 2 DJ had a drink problem when shots of his shameful antics on the M4 emerged on Thursday.

But the Sunday People can reveal the star told pals he was just “letting his hair down” following months of stress on the revamped motoring show – his performance on which has been roundly panned.

And we can also reveal Evans, 50, has denied claims his marriage is on the rocks.

A source said: “Chris realised straight after he got out of the car he’d made a silly mistake and he’s apologised.

“But this is not Chris having some sort of breakdown.

Critics

“He does drink but he has not got a drink problem. It is ridiculous anyone should think that. He’s not in a bad place at all. He’s just come back from a family holiday in Portugal and is happier and more at ease than he’s been in months.

“He’s finally put behind him the ridiculous pressure heaped on his shoulders by critics of the show. He was just letting his hair down.”

Evans has made a public apology over the embarrassing images, taken on Thursday. The shots captured the former Big Breakfast host leaving a car on the side of the M4 and peeing into bushes as members of the public watched from a traffic jam.

He was also pictured swigging from a bottle of Remy Martin VSOP cognac as his people carrier stopped on the hard shoulder.

Two days earlier, Evans cut a forlorn figure as he sat alone outside a North London pub – reading a self- help book called The Pressure Principle by Dr Dave Alred.

Looking unshaven, he appeared absorbed as he read about how to cope with stress and turn it into a positive – then sped off on his new three-wheeler motorbike.

The brandy binge is the latest in a string of