Jeremy Clarkson and Top Gear features

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Moment Jeremy Clarkson was 'caught chatting on mobile while doing 70mph'
11th March 2008

For years he has railed against the nanny-state but yesterday it looks as though Jeremy Clarkson was caught flouting the very same draconian motoring laws he so detests. A couple claims to have photographed the Top Gear presenter talking on his mobile phone while driving at 70mph on the motorway in his gas-guzzling 6.3 litre Mercedes. The 47-year-old is now facing a police investigation and could get three points on his driving licence as well as a £60 fine.

Clarkson was caught as he overtook Adam Blake, 22, near the turn-off to the Silverstone racing circuit on Friday morning last week. "My girlfriend said "Oh, that's Jeremy Clarkson" and then noticed he was on his mobile," Mr Blake said. "She grabbed her phone and took a picture of him. We couldn't believe we'd caught him out. "Afterwards we moved into the fast lane and overtook him and we gave him a beep. It was clearly him." Mr Blake, a recruitment consultant from Ascot, Berkshire, added: "I used to watch him every week on Top Gear and he was always banging on about the new driving laws. Everyone knows you can't use a phone behind the wheel. Perhaps he thinks he's above the law."

The death toll caused by motorists using hand-held mobiles more than doubled from 13 in 2005 to 28 in 2006, despite a ban being introduced in December 2003. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents yesterday condemned the practice as "illegal and dangerous". A spokesman added: "It is disappointing to see someone well-known and looked up to in relation to driving doing that."

Thames Valley Police are waiting to examine the original photographs before deciding what action to take. A spokesman said: "As the law stands it certainly does look like he is breaking the law but it needs to be looked at in detail. We do take quite a dim view of it and we are keen to get the road safety message across to people."

Clarkson was given the left-hand drive Mercedes as a Christmas present last year and, in typically brash style, has revealed he loves it "more than my g***tals." His scabrous wit appeared to have deserted him when confronted at his Oxfordshire mansion about the alleged law-breaking, however. He at first denied being in the car but when shown the photo said: "That isn't a mobile phone." He then slammed the front door and shouted: "Look, I write a column for another newspaper. I'm not allowed to talk to you."

The father-of-three has had several brushes with the law in recent months. In September he was acquitted in a speeding case after hiring celebrity lawyer Nick Freeman, known as 'Mr Loophole'. A V6 Alfa Romeo Brera which had been loaned to the presenter by the manufacturer was caught doing 82mph in a 50mph zone in Ruislip, west London. But the case was dropped at court because it couldn't be proved who was driving.

A month later, Clarkson and fellow Top Gear host James May were told they were to be investigated by a local authority for flouting laws about smoking in the work place after lighting up on TV. Millions of viewers saw the pair puff on pipes in the studio near Godalming, Surrey, while discussing the branded goods car makers use to sell their products. And in December, he found himself at the centre of another investigation by Thames Valley Police after grappling with a hooded teenager who shouted at him as he left an entertainment complex in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. The force later decided to take no action as there was 'no evidence a crime took place'.

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[eefanincan]

Caught in the act!

[Marcella-FL]

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Motoring motormouth Jeremy Clarkson says he is ignored
May 28 2008
by Tim Lewis,
Western Mail

TELEVISION presenter and journalist Jeremy Clarkson attacked America last night as a “hideous” place to go because it’s full of people who are “not technically humans”. In typically forthright mode, the Top Gear frontman delighted the sell-out crowd at the Hay Festival with criticism after criticism aimed at life today.

As the 48-year-old author chatted on stage with fellow journalist Rosie Boycott, he dismissed his apparent influence over the masses and even managed to dodge questions over his controversial views on the environmental. Was he worried that if his influential views on global warming are wrong it could mean the death of millions of people?

“Nobody listens to anything I say, really, they don’t,” he replied. “Electric cars still need to be plugged in to a power source that comes from a power station. If we start turning crops into fuel then people in African countries are going to starve. In the future hydrogen is going to be the way forward and where we end up. But what I say doesn’t make any difference to anything, people don’t listen to me.”

He also picked up on arguments he has made heavily criticising the rigidity of regulations enforced in the Britain of 2008. Clarkson said: “I’ve often said I think the Government should exist to build park benches and then shut up. Having so many rules and regulations is making it a particularly dreary world. There are so many signposts everywhere telling you what you can and can’t do. It’s unbelievable. People love Top Gear so much because it’s a bit of a release from the real world.”

He then turned his rant to rudeness. When asked why he had been so critical of celebrities in the past for not showing up to charity events, he said: “When someone doesn’t turn up for something that they promised to do, it’s just bad manners. I think they should be shot in the face. It’s like if someone tells me they are going to meet me at eight o’clock, I want them to be at eight o’clock not five past. It’s something that really drives me mad.”

And then to made-up TV. “Possibly one of the most irritating things that has happened is the whole thing about faking scenes on television. On Top Gear we have always shown exactly what goes on, even if it is us making a mistake,” Clarkson told the audience.

Despite being the most famous motoring journalist in the country, he admitted to knowing very little about cars when he entered the profession. He said: “I can’t remember the first time I drove a car, I had very little interest in cars when I was younger. I didn’t know anything about cars so I had to write about anything but how good the car was. I would never say what a car was like. If you asked me to design a car I wouldn’t have a clue where to start but that’s part of the reason I admire them so much.”

Clarkson spoke about what it was like to work on Top Gear and put to bed fears there may only be a few series left. He said: “When we started out Top Gear was always meant to be the ultimate family show. It’s basically three men falling over a lot, just like Last of the Summer Wine. I’ve tried very hard to make sure it is not a sexist show.

"Since its new format in 2002 there hasn’t been one sexist remark, and I know because my wife watches very carefully to pick me up on it. I don’t believe there’s a difference between men and women drivers only people who are interested in driving and those who couldn’t care less about cars. Top Gear will be going for quite a while longer because we all love doing it. It’s like being back in the playground for the three of us.”

He revealed that he had already started to teach his young children, who were sitting in the crowd with his wife, to drive. Clarkson said: “The boys started to learn from about the age of seven because I think the earlier that you get them used to handling a car the less likely they will be to drive one straight into a tree when they pass. If you asked me to design a car I wouldn’t have a clue but that’s part of the reason I admire them"

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[pirtybirdy]

I see that Jeremy Clarkson just confirmed my suspicions that he's a complete and utter wanker. Way to go Jeremy!

[faceless]

I'm pretty certain that a lot of people who voted for him weren't joking at all - they want some irresponsible arse in charge who'll let them be irresponsible arses too. Clarkson is entertaining as a fool, but to give him any power that isn't linked to a single car engine? Ballcocks!

[harry perkins]

I'm sure there was a Galloway for PM petition mentioned on this site, that the same website refused to host, I think because it wasn't something the PM could do anything about. I don't see how the same doesn't hold for Clarkson. For a lefty I'm probably quite fond of Clarkson, but it seems like theres been a double standard here.

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From the Harry and Paul show - I thought it was too long, but there's a few good laughs in there.

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People miffed as Jeremy Clarkson blows up £20,000 classic Routemaster bus with rocket launcher
20 October 2008

Jeremy Clarkson has come under fire for blowing up a rare Routemaster bus worth £20,000. He destroyed one of only 500 of the famous red double-deckers still in existence for his new DVD. But the cretinous stunt has annoyed bus enthusiasts, who have branded it 'sacrilege'. Just 18 of the iconic buses, which London Mayor Boris Johnson has vowed to bring back, are still in service around the capital.

Andrew Morgan, chairman of the Routemaster Association, said: 'This bus is held in great affection by the public. It was in service for the best part of 50 years and it's been part of everyone's life for so long. It's just sacrilege and a very sad thing to do. Why pick on a vehicle like that when you wouldn't do it to a classic car and there are more of them? There are plenty of other red double-deckers that he could pick on in scrapyards. It's typical Clarkson. He's just a wanker'

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Was crashing a truck into a wall at 56mph REALLY such a bright idea, Mr Clarkson?
By Rebecca Camber
3rd of November 2008

He has a notorious appetite for destruction. But after emerging in 'screaming agony' from this latest horrifying escapade, perhaps Jeremy Clarkson has had his fill. These spectacular pictures show how the presenter deliberately crashed a truck into a wall at high speed for his latest daredevil Top Gear stunt.

The cab crumpled as the lorry hit the brick wall at its maximum of 56mph, leaving Clarkson with heavy bruising to his shin and back and an index finger like 'a burst sausage'. Describing the crash, he said: 'At the moment, teenagers see Bruce Willis driving his car into a helicopter and imagine that you can get out afterwards and still be well enough to punch a baddie in the face. This isn't accurate. I emerged from my high speed head-on impact in what can only be described as screaming agony.

'I couldn't walk. I couldn't talk. I couldn't think. Everyone should experience this before they are given a licence.' He added: 'It would let them know that crashes really, really hurt and that it would be a good idea to not have one.'

Producers said that the stunt was staged to 'see how difficult it was to be a truck driver'. Clarkson and his co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May were each given a series of tasks to complete as truck drivers. Clarkson was instructed to drive a Renault Magnum lorry through a wall at the vehicle's maximum legal speed at a test track near Milton Keynes.

Clarkson described the smash as his first serious road accident for 31 years. A Top Gear spokesman said the presenter was 'quite badly injured', although he has since made a good recovery.

Speaking about the latest high-speed crash, a Top Gear spokesman said: 'Before the stunt was carried out a full heath and safety assessment was carried out.'

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When I saw this last night I immediately thought it looked more than daft - fucking dangerous! Still, the thought of him not being able to pollute the world for a while has made me laugh... get it right up ye Clarkson!

haha

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Man builds Lamborghini in his cellar... but needs digger to drive it out
05th November 2008

A man built a Lamborghini sports car in his cellar - but then needed a digger to drive it out. Ken Imhoff fell in love with the Countach after seeing one in the movie Cannonball Run. However, the car fanatic couldn't afford to buy one so instead he spent ten years building one in the basement of his home in Wisconsin, U.S.

After the completion of his masterpiece, Ken encountered a problem when he realised there was no garage door to drive the Lamborghini through. So he decided to dig a ramp and hire an excavator to gouge out a slope in his garden and dig down into the foundations of the house to get the car out.

Ken said: 'I was like an expectant father watching it come through the wall. I was literally shaking. It was like an artist unwrapping his masterpiece. I knew at the moment the last blanket was removed I'd accomplished what I'd dreamed about so many years before. The neighbours started gathering around as it emerged, waiting for me to remove the blankets. I had never seen it in the light of day either.

'As the last blanket and car cover were removed I knew at that moment I had accomplished what I had dreamed about so many years ago and to see it sitting there in front of me was surreal. The whole process took two-and-a-half hours and there it was, my Lamborghini safely in the garage. The next day we filled the hole in the basement with new block in no time it was good as new.'

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If you're going to have a hobby that keeps you in the basement, this seems as good as any! The only thing that doesn't look right to me is the slight curve on the front wheel arches - I'm sure the original was more angled.

I realise this isn't a Top Gear story, but it's close enough...

[radiomanpj]

I watched the truck driving stunt and was laughing all through it.

I never have seen a poorer display of truck driving except by students.

Felt sorry for those poor tractors.

Richard Hammond dropping the trailer on the ground had me on the floor.

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The Stig revealed as married man 'who drives boring car'
One of motor-racings most guarded secrets has been answered - Top Gear's The Stig has been unmasked as a married man in his 30s who lives in a £300,000 house with a boring £15,000 car.
By Chris Irvine
11 Jan 2009

Some say his tongue can strip the paint off a Porsche in 30 seconds, and that his first name really is 'The'. Until now, all we knew was he was called The Stig. But his secret identity appears now to have been leaked. He is a married man, who lives in a comfortable £300,000 home and drives an unglamorous £15,000 car.

The racing star, who tests new cars and coaches celebrities in the Star in a Reasonably Price Car segment on the show featuring Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May has always kept his identity a closely-guarded secret. The News Of The World discovered his true identity thanks to a leak in the BBC show. Although not revealing his name, it gave some clues into the mysterious man's identity.

He found his first track outing when he was younger "terrifying" but this did not stop him from racing in Formula First, GT Racing and Stock Cars, while he almost made it to Formula One. He is in his 30s, and earns around £150,000 a year combining his Top Gear job with some stunt and test driving.

A BBC source told the newspaper: "This is the best-kept secret in motor racing and we want to keep it that way. No one will ever officially confirm his identity."

It would appear the current version of The Stig has no intention of following in the footsteps of his predecessor Perry McCarthy. McCarthy was The original Stig for 22 Top Gears but was "killed off" by being shot off the end of aircraft carrier HMS Invincible in a rocket-powered vehicle after revealing his secret.

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Will we ever know or care that much?

[faceless]

Who is the Stig? The answer
Top Gear test driver The Stig has been unmasked as professional stuntman and Le Mans racer Ben Collins.
19 Jan 2009

For years the identity of The Stig has been a closely guarded secret, but Collins – who has previously competed in Formula Three, Le Mans, GT and NASCAR – has apparently outed himself to staff at a Bristol gallery.

The 33-year-old let his secret slip when he asked them to help him produce a limited-edition print of The Stig in action. Gallery owner Simon Whitehead, 27, said: "I was absolutely amazed when he said he was The Stig, it was quite a big thing in a weird way." Builder Jason Goody, 21, also discovered The Stig's identity when he did some work at Collins' home and found the famous white suit and gloves on display in a cabinet.

Other fans of Top Gear, presented by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, have been closing in on Collins in recent months. One YouTube clip shows The Stig, in full disguise, talking with a Bristol accent to a foreign TV crew – and then cuts to Collins sounding very similar.

Collins, from Bristol, has always denied being The Stig and could face the sack if he admitted it. The first Stig, stunt driver Perry McCarthy, lost the job after outing himself in his book Flat Out, Flat Broke, published in 2002. He was known as The Black Stig and always wore a black suit and helmet before he was "killed off" during the third series in 2003. Collins has since become The White Stig, and wears an all white helmet and suit.

Collins started his motorsport career in 1994, competing in Formula First and Formula Vauxhall Junior on his way to International Formula 3. He has appeared on BBC's Top Gear as himself on various occasions to perform some dramatic stunts.

The Health & Safety Executive report into Hammond's accident in September 2006 recorded that Collins had "worked closely with Top Gear as a high performance driver and consultant" and had prepared a briefing for the presenter. Collins also recently spent three months working as a precision driver on the latest James Bond movie The Quantum of Solace. He was the double for Daniel Craig and drove the Aston Martin DBS in some of the most challenging driving sequences.

Collins said of the experience: "It was a bit like a dream come true to work on a Bond film. On the first day filming I had to pinch myself as I was sitting there in Bond's pin stripe suit with an Omega Watch. I felt totally at home in the Aston Martin DBS, which is just an awesome car and it was a lot of fun hammering it around the Alps. There were sheer drops of a thousand feet on some of the roads we using. I think a highlight was sliding the DBS up the mountain road between two giant rocks, then onto the pass with nothing but a hand rail to stop the car falling off a cliff."

The Stig's name derives from Clarkson's days at Repton School where, he said, new students were always called "Stig". The identity of White Stig has not been officially revealed and is regarded as a carefully guarded secret by the BBC. However, it has not stopped people from trying to identify him and names such as Julian Bailey, Damon Hill, Tim Schrick, and Russ Swift have all been suggested.

A Top Gear spokesman said: "We never comment on speculation as to who or what The Stig is."

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