Clarkson thinks we’ve forgotten he’s offensive...
JEREMY CLARKSON has compared his high-profile media battles with the BBC to Prince Andrew’s present crisis.
The Grand Tour presenter, who is publicising a new series of films on Amazon Prime, had faced accusations of homophobia and xenophobia during Top Gear’s long run.
He was axed from the show by BBC boss Danny Cohen for punching a producer, but Grand Tour’s latest film, set in Cambodia, is apparently scandal-free.
Asked whether he was mellowing, he said: “I’m not sure we’ve sparked fury in this show at all. I think when you have a reputation for something then every single thing you do shores up that reputation, whether it’s justified or not.
“Prince Andrew is experiencing that right now. Every single thing he’s ever done in his life is shoring up his reputation, built on one thing.
“It happens a lot.and maybe time has passed and people have forgotten that I’m offensive or maybe only Danny Cohen [his EX-BBC boss] found me offensive. Perhaps we are changing.”
Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May abandon cars for boats as they travel down the Mekong River for the special. Clarkson said a media storm could make him feel sick. “You never have any warning and suddenly everyone is writing about it. It depends what it is. Some are hilarious and some make you feel sick to the pit of your stomach.
“Sometimes I’ve been in trouble for something that hasn’t happened at all or has been interpreted wrong so you think, ‘I don’t care what you think’ and then sometimes you think ‘Oh, what a dingleberry I’ve been’.
“I don’t care what people think of me any more. I just sit in my tractor now dreaming up ideas for The Grand Tour. I have all the arguments I need with my daughter who is an enthusiastic supporter of Miss [Greta] Thunberg.”
In the show the trio are caught in a real storm on the South China Sea. Clarkson said he was “bruised” by the experience but worse was a crash on a Swiss mountain pass in which he suffered a broken leg and ribs.
The three now spend months apart between filming, which delights May who says: “We haven’t had a fist fight. He knows I’d just kill him.” ●The Grand Tour Presents: Seamen, available Amazon Prime Video from Friday December 13.