Her name is Sophia Vaizey, a former Top Gear production coordinator. When she left the show, Vaizey was given, as a parting gift, one of the helmets worn by Collins, complete with autographs from the Top Gear production crew, Richard Hammond and the Stig himself.
Hoping to cash in on the recent debacle, Vaizey plans to auction the helmet, a move which might bring her at least 1,200 GBP ($1,842, or EUR1,448).
''Selling the helmet has been something that has been on my mind for a while,” Vaizey tried to justify her timing to The Telegraph. ''I'm quite a sentimental person and I don't want to let go of it, but as my family have said to me it might not be worth anything in 10 years' time.
''The Stig wore that one on the show for quite a while. He then got a new one for safety reasons, so it got stored away in the Top Gear office.''
The helmet will go under the hammer at Gorringes Auctioneers on October 20.
Late last week, Ben Collins, the man who has worn the helmet, explained the reasons why he persisted in writing his autobiography. In his words, he decided to move forward because he was being treated as "prop" and in the end was bullied out of the show.
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