Chris Evans has claimed marriage is an outdated model that no longer works.

The TV presenter, who will take over hosting duties on BBC motoring show Top Gear, has been married three times.

Chris Evans and Natasha Shishmanian
Chris Evans and Natasha Shishmanian (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

He said on Channel 4′s Sunday Brunch: “We began to get married 3,000 years ago, which is about the ownership of a woman by a man, and actually, as a model it doesn’t work at all any more.”

Chris, who has three children, married his current wife Natasha Shishmanian eight years ago.

Chris Evans and Billie Piper
Chris Evans and Billie Piper in 2003 (Andy Butterton/PA)

He was also previously married to singer-turned-actress Billie Piper for six years and Loose Women’s Carol McGiffin for seven years.

Chris – who had a prostate cancer scare earlier this year – also revealed he has visited a marriage counsellor and sex therapist while writing his latest book Call The Midlife.

“I gave myself 100 days to think about the rest of my life. To plan it,” he said.

“If you’re going on holiday or you’re going to have a dinner party, you plan it, don’t you? Why don’t we plan the rest of our lives?

“I came up with a few theories. One theory is: The meaning of life is getting life to mean what you want it to. So why don’t we just do that instead?”

Chris Evans and the Stig
Chris Evans and the Stig (Yui Mok/PA)

He continued: “And then I go to see a marriage counsellor because, you know, you want to stay married. So you go, OK, well there’s nothing wrong, but what could be on the horizon?

“How do marriages start to break down? How’s that going to happen? And then I go to a sex therapist. How do you keep the light on in the lighthouse?”

Chris is also relaunching his Channel 4 entertainment show, TFI Friday, which returns to screens on October 16.