Jeremy Clarkson's final scenes in Top Gear will be screened later this year, according to the controller of BBC2.
Kim Shillinglaw, run runs the stations, also said she was not thinking of his replacement "in terms of gender".
She also said that there is no "ban" on Clarkson appearing again on the BBC.
The controller said the scenes filmed before Clarkson was suspended after his "fracas" with producer Oisin Tymon were likely to air this summer.
Clarkson was sacked from the show after a report by BBC Scotland director Ken MacQuarrie into the incident found the presenter launched an "unprovoked physical and verbal attack."
Shillinglaw said that the scenes were shot for the final three episodes of the last series.
She said: "They simply weren't able to shoot enough material", but added: "No way would I want the available material not to be seen by viewers".
Asked about drafting in a woman to replace Clarkson, she said: "I worked a lot with female presenters and when I used to work in science, that was something that I really wanted to tackle, but I don't think I've ever approached an individual show thinking that was the way I want to cast it so I think it's an open book on that.
"We'll definitely look at some women but it's not a driving priority."
The scenes, which pre-recorded before Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond filmed the full studio show, will not be enough to form three complete episodes as originally intended.
They will instead be screened by the BBC as a one-off show.
Shillinglaw said: "Top Gear is a show that I genuinely love. I watch it and always have done.
"It's not been an easy year, but it's kind of creatively exciting, what were going to do and have got to do, so that's what we're getting on with. We've got to move the show on.
"It's a challenge but it's genuinely creatively exciting.
"We've got a great in-house team and it's going to continue to be made by them."
When asked whether the door was open for Clarkson to return, she said: "It's serious and unfortunate what happened, but there's no ban on Jeremy being on the BBC."
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