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23 Apr, 2015

Top Gear return ‘Virtually impossible’

Makes Statement0 Comments

May says that he will not return to Top Gear without Clarkson.

Me and Hammond with a surrogate Jeremy is a non-starter. It has to be the three of us…I don’t think you could carry on with two people and put someone in as the new Jeremy because they are not going to be the new Jeremy. That would be short-sighted and I don’t think it would work. Virtually impossible.

31 Mar, 2015

BBC confirms live shows

Announces Tour0 Comments

BBC confirms that Top Gear live world tour will go ahead and will feature Clarkson along with May and Hammond. The tour will not have BBC branding. BBC spokesman:

So as not to disappoint the thousands of people around the world who have already purchased tickets, BBC Worldwide has agreed with our joint venture partner Brand Events that the remainder of the tour can continue.

9 Mar, 2015

Top Gear postponed

Makes Statement0 Comments

BBC postpones three remaining episodes of season 22 of the series after suspension of host Jeremy Clarkson for punching a male producer. Statement from the corporation:

Following a fracas with a BBC producer, Jeremy Clarkson has been suspended pending an investigation. No one else has been suspended. Top Gear will not be broadcast this Sunday. The BBC will be making no further comment at this time.

1 May, 2014

N-word apology

Apology0 Comments

Clarkson begs for viewers forgiveness after he appears to use N-word during filming of an episode of TV series, Top Gear.

Ordinarily I don’t respond to newspaper allegations but on this occasion I feel I must make an exception. A couple of years ago I recorded an item for Top Gear in which I quote the rhyme “eeny, meeny, miny, moe”. Of course, I was well aware that in the best-known version of this rhyme there is a racist expression that I was extremely keen to avoid. The full rushes show that I did three takes. In two, I mumbled where the offensive word would normally occur and in the third I replaced it altogether with the word teacher. Now when I viewed this footage several weeks later I realized that in one of the mumbled versions if you listen very carefully with the sound turned right up it did appear that I’d actually used the word I was trying to obscure. I was mortified by this, horrified. It is a word I loathe and I did everything in my power to make sure that that version did not appear in the program that was transmitted…I have here the note that was sent at the time to the production office and it says:

I didn’t use the N-word here but I’ve just listened through my headphones and it sounds like I did. Is there another take that we could use?

Please be assured I did everything in my power to not use that word, as I’m sitting here begging your forgiveness for the fact my efforts obviously weren’t quite good enough, thank you.

Jeremy Clarkson begs for forgiveness over racial slur (1080p) HD

19 Mar, 2014

Slope comment

Accusation0 Comments

Clarkson is accused of racism for using the word ‘slope,’ an offensive racist term used for people of east Asian descent on the Burma Special. On seeing an Asian man cross his makeshift bridge:

That is a proud moment, but there’s a slope on it

Top Gear Burma Special "There's a slope on it" HQ Clarkson clip

1 Mar, 2014

Caught on camera using racist rhyme

Accusation0 Comments

Clarkson is caught using N-word on camera while filming Top Gear, sparking a racism controversy. In an unseen footage which was edited out of the show, Clarkson can be heard chanting:

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe…

He then mumbles:

Catch a n***** by his toe

Jeremy Clarkson chanting racist nursery rhyme