Jeremy Clarkson

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Jeremy Clarkson

Born:	April 11, 1960 (age 46) Doncaster, England, UK
Occupation:	Television presenter, talk show host, author and journalist

Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson (born April 11, 1960) is an English broadcaster and writer who specialises in motoring. He writes weekly columns for The Sunday Times and The Sun, but is better known for his role on the BBC TV show Top Gear. The show won an International Emmy in 2005. "Not a man given to considered opinion," according to the BBC,^[1] Clarkson is known to be opinionated and forthright in his views. In the Daily Mirror of June 19th, 2000, he was described by Tony Parsons as a "dazzling hero of political incorrectness". The Economist, on the subject of road pricing in UK, has also described him as a "skilful propagandist for the motoring lobby".^[2]

Contents 1 Biography 2 Television career 2.1 Cars 2.2 Other 3 Engineering interests 4 Views 4.1 Rover 4.2 Vauxhall 4.3 Anti-American remarks 4.4 Allegations of bigotry 4.5 Allegations of homophobia 4.6 Celebrities 4.7 Top Gear 4.8 Other 5 Works 5.1 Other motoring shows 5.2 Non-motoring shows 5.3 Videos/DVDs 5.4 Books 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Biography

Born in Doncaster, Clarkson was educated at Repton School, although he claims to have been expelled.^[3] His first job was as a travelling salesman for his parents' business selling Paddington Bear toys, after which he trained as a journalist with the Rotherham Advertiser.^[4]

In 2004 during an episode of the BBC's Who Do You Think You Are?, Clarkson was invited to investigate his family history; including the story of his great-great-great grandfather John Kilner (1792–1857), who invented the Kilner jar; a receptacle for preserved fruit.^[5]

In spite of his penchant for fast driving and high performance cars, Clarkson has been reported as having a clean licence.^[6] Nonetheless, he is not reluctant to discuss driving fast. In a November 2005 article in The Sunday Times, Clarkson wrote, while discussing the Bugatti Veyron, "On a recent drive across Europe I desperately wanted to reach the top speed but I ran out of road when the needle hit 240mph", and later, in the same article, "From the wheel of a Veyron, France is the size of a small coconut. I cannot tell you how fast I crossed it the other day. Because you simply wouldn’t believe me".

[edit] Television career

[edit] Cars

Clarkson is most associated with the British Motoring Programme Top Gear, which he presented from 1989 to 1999 in the programme's original format, and then again from 2002, when it was relaunched in a new format after a brief period off the air. His current co-presenters are James May and Richard Hammond. It is now the most watched TV show on BBC Two, with about 350 million viewers around the world.^[7] It won an International Emmy in 2005, for the best non-scripted entertainment show that was not broadcast in the U.S. Clarkson said: "I didn't attend the awards ceremony because I didn't know that we had won, and I only found out after a 4 am text message, whilst I was busy writing the script for the next show....". It then also received a National Television Award for best Factual Programme in 2006 defeating the likes of Planet Earth and Bad Lad's Army.

Clarkson continues to release annual motoring-based videos: his first being "Clarkson - Unleashed on Cars" in 1996. Over the years, his videos have shown him driving many exotic cars, including a Ford GT40 which had been specially adapted to accommodate taller drivers; Clarkson is 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m). He is also known for destroying his most hated cars in various ways, including catapulting a Nissan Sunny using a trebuchet, dropping onto a caravan a Porsche 911 (after dropping a piano onto the bonnet and dousing it in hydrochloric acid, among other things) and shooting a Chevrolet Corvette with a Gatling gun attached to an airborne helicopter. He has also presented other motoring-related series such as Star Cars, Jeremy Clarkson's Motorworld, and Jeremy Clarkson's Car Years.

[edit] Other

For three years, Clarkson had his own chat show; Clarkson, on which he was most notable for offending the Welsh by placing a 3D plastic map of Wales into a microwave oven and switching it on. He later defended this by saying "I put Wales in there because Scotland wouldn't fit". Similarly, he once removed the USA from a map and renamed the resultant space the 'South Canada Sea'.

Clarkson also hosted a six part series, Jeremy Clarkson Meets the Neighbours, in which he took a Jaguar E-type around Europe visiting France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Italy. The programme explored the stereotypes of each of the countries to see whether or not they were true.

After the dismissal of Angus Deayton, Clarkson was one of a number of guest hosts recruited to present the topical panel show, Have I Got News For You. He was the first such host never to have previously been a guest of the programme. As of June 2, 2006, he has presented the show four times and been a guest once. Clarkson has also appeared as a guest on the BBC series QI 4 times, 'winning' twice.

Clarkson also presented a progam looking at Victoria Cross winners, in particular focusing on his father-in-law Robert Henry Cain who won the VC during Operation Market Garden at Arnham in World War 2.

In addition to television, Clarkson also had a small role in the UK release of the 2006 Disney Pixar movie Cars as the voice of Harv, Lightning McQueen's agent. Harv is played by Jeremy Piven in the North American release.^[8]

[edit] Engineering interests

Clarkson is passionate about engineering, especially pioneering work, as his television programmes about Isambard Kingdom Brunel and the Colossus computer have shown. Clarkson was awarded an honorary degree from Brunel University on September 12, 2003, partly because of his work in popularising engineering, and partly because of his advocacy of Isambard Kingdom Brunel in the 100 Greatest Britons programme.

In April 2004, he appeared on the talk show Parkinson and mentioned that he was writing a book about the soul he believes many machines have. The book, titled I Know You Got Soul was published in October 2004. He cited Air France Flight 4590 as his primary example: when people heard the plane had crashed, quite aside from the sadness they felt for the loss of human life, there was also almost a sadness for the machine. Clarkson was one of the passengers on the last BA Concorde flight on October 24, 2003. He paraphrased Neil Armstrong to describe the retiring of the Concorde: "This is one small step for a man, but one huge leap backwards for mankind".^[9]

Clarkson owns various cars including a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, a Mercedes-Benz SL55, a Volvo XC90, a Ford Focus, and an ex-military Land Rover Defender, and used to own a Ford GT. His experiences with his Ford GT are well documented, having had many issues with the satellite tracker/alarm system - he reported that it would tell him the car had been stolen even when he was driving it, among other problems, including the rev limit inexplicably being reset to 600 rpm. As a result of what he called "the most miserable month's motoring possible", he returned it to Ford for a full refund. After a short period, including asking Top Gear fans for advice over the internet, he bought back his GT. He has called it "the most unreliable car ever made", due to his never being able to complete a return journey using it. In the October 2006 edition of Top Gear Magazine James May stated that Clarkson was looking to purchase a Gallardo Spyder. Clarkson announced at MPH'06 that he had ordered the Gallardo Spyder, with orange seats, and that he sold the Ford GT to make way for it. He also owned a Ferrari F355 for a short while. This was sold to make way for an SL55 AMG in which the SLK55 AMG suceeded it.

He has also owned a 1970s Alfa GTV6, and has a passion for the marque, declaring famously on Top Gear, "You are not a petrol-head until you've owned an Alfa". In his book I Know You Got Soul the Alfa 166 was one of only three cars classified as having that "special something". The Brera, Alfa's latest sportscar, has been compared to Cameron Diaz and also been called "filth", or pornographic, by Clarkson.

His known passion for single- or two-passenger high-velocity transport led to his brief acquisition of an English Electric Lightning F.1A jet fighter, which was installed in the front garden of his country home. The Lightning was subsequently removed on the orders of the local council, which "wouldn't believe my claim that it was a leaf blower", according to Clarkson on a Tiscali Motoring webchat. In fact, the whole affair was a setup for the programme Speed, and English Electric Lightning XM172 is now back serving as gate guardian at Booker airfield, High Wycombe.

After winning the challenge between a Bugatti Veyron and a Cessna private aeroplane, he pondered and announced that "It's quite a hollow victory really, because I've got to go for the rest of my life knowing that I'll never own that car. I'll never experience that power again."^[10]

[edit] Views

Clarkson is well known for his posturing and deadpan delivery of oddball humour. This frequently includes fairly abrasive and deliberately provocative (if not caustic) remarks that have repeatedly been a source of controversy. However, Clarkson has been known to take as good as he gives, eg. responding to being pied with "Great shot!" As of March 2007, nearly 40,000 people had joined a group on the social networking site Facebook calling for Clarkson to become Prime Minister.

[edit] Rover

One of Clarkson's most infamous dislikes was of the British car brand Rover. Rover cars were manufactured at Austin Motor Company's Longbridge plant. After BMW pulled out of Longbridge, Rover was bought by the Phoenix Consortium and the English MG and Rover brands merged becoming the last major British owned and built car manufacturer. Clarkson did reserve some sympathy for the Rover workers left jobless, saying in his Sunday Times column, "I cannot even get teary and emotional about the demise of the company itself — though I do feel sorry for the workforce."^[11]

[edit] Vauxhall

Clarkson is well known for his criticism of Vauxhall Motors.^[12][13] Clarkson has described Vauxhall's parent company General Motors as a "pensions and healthcare" company which sees the "car making side of the business as an expensive loss-making nuisance".^[13]

Clarkson has expressed his disdain of the Vauxhall Vectra, including making what The Independent described as a "characteristically clever" film for Top Gear when the Vectra was launched, which it judged may have damaged its sales.^[14] Vauxhall complained to the BBC and announced "we can take criticism but this piece was totally unbalanced."^[15] He has described it as "One of my least favourite cars in the world. I've always hated it because I've always felt it was designed in a coffee break by people who couldn't care less about cars" and "one of the worst chassis I've ever ever come across."^[16]

However, he has expressed his approval of several Vauxhall models; he has been complimentary about Astra VXR and Astra SRi. Although highlighting that he thinks the VXR torque steers "like an absolute pig" and has poor handling in general,^[17] he has also expressed admiration for its looks, speed and price.^[18] Regarding the SRi he said, "when a car looks this good it can't be bad".^[13] Of the Monaro VXR he said, "It's like they had a picture of me on their desk and said (Australian accent) 'I'm gonna make that bloke a car'" and "I can't believe it... I've fallen in love... with a Vauxhall!".

[edit] Anti-American remarks

In September 2005, Clarkson wrote an editorial for The Sun, criticising Americans after the Hurricane Katrina rescue response, and included the comment: "Most Americans barely have the brains to walk on their back legs".^[19] He has also said on Top Gear when comparing a rural British village with a rural American village that "[in rural America, the town] would be full of people doing… whatever it is they do. Incest, mostly".^[20]

[edit] Allegations of bigotry

In October 1998, Hyundai Motor Company complained to the BBC about what they described as "bigoted and racist" comments he made at the Birmingham Motor Show, where he was reported as saying that the people working on the Hyundai stand had "eaten a dog" (due to the fact that some Koreans are known for their consumption of dogs), and that the designer of the Hyundai XG had probably eaten a spaniel for his lunch. He also allegedly referred to those working on the BMW stand as "Nazis".^[21]

[edit] Allegations of homophobia

In July 2006, Clarkson attracted complaints after agreeing with a Top Gear audience member that a featured car was a bit "gay" or "ginger beer" (rhyming slang for "queer"). The complainants felt that the presenter was using the word pejoratively. In December 2006 the BBC ruled that his remarks had the potential to offend and should not have been broadcast.^[22]

[edit] Celebrities

From 2000 to 2006 Clarkson had a public feud with Piers Morgan which began when Morgan published pictures of Clarkson kissing his BBC producer.^[23] On the final Concorde flight Clarkson threw a glass of water over Morgan during an argument.^[23]

In March 2004, at the British Press Awards, he cursed at Piers Morgan and punched him leaving Morgan with a scar above his left eyebrow.^[24] In 2006 Morgan revealed that the feud was over, saying "There should always be a moment when you finally down cudgels, kiss and make up."^[23]

[edit] Top Gear

In February 2004 while filming Top Gear, Clarkson rammed a 30-year-old horse chestnut tree with a Toyota Hilux pickup truck to demonstrate how rugged the vehicle was. This led to the BBC having to compensate the local parish council who, until they saw the Top Gear broadcast, thought that the damage had been caused by local vandals.^[25] In July 2006, Clarkson attracted complaints on the programme, when he said that bus drivers are "little Hitlers", made a comment about Muslims, and picked out an audience member with long hair and called him "Jesus". He later said that he had received more complaints because of his attitude to caravans.

In 1999, several Members of Parliament criticized Top Gear for being "obsessed with acceleration".^[26] The BBC however has rejected numerous complaints about the show and its presenters, "Were the presenters' comments and pranks carried out with any degree of seriousness, rather than being clearly tongue-in-cheek or adopting the deliberate overstatement that is the programme's trademark, we would of course take issue with them".^[27]

Clarkson and his fellow presenters have come under increased scrutiny following Richard Hammond's jet-powered car crash in September 2006, leading to concerns that the show may be axed.^[26] Minister of State for Transport, Stephen Ladyman MP, has backed the show, stating of Hammond's crash, "I think it would be really sad if a real tragedy like this one was used to attack an entertainment."^[28]

Clarkson also reacted to an article in the Daily Mail by Neil Lydon favouring banning Top Gear by describing him as a "sanctimonious, rent-a-soundbite little turd".^[29]

[edit] Other

During the 13 November 2005 Top Gear episode, a news segment featuring BMW's Mini Concept from the Tokyo Motor Show showcased what fellow-presenter Richard Hammond quoted as a "quintessentially British" integrated tea set. Clarkson responded by mocking that they should build a car that is "quintessentially German." He suggested turn signals that displayed Hitler salutes, "a sat-nav that only goes to Poland" in reference to the Nazi invasion of Poland that marked the start of World War II in Europe, and "ein fanbelt that will last a thousand years," a reference to Adolf Hitler's propaganda slogan of "the thousand-year Reich". These statements drew negative attention in the British and German news media.^[30]

In 2005, the School of Technology at Oxford Brookes University awarded him an honorary engineering doctorate, leading to an assault from green protestors who objected to his statements about the environment and his advocacy of car use. He has said: "I do have a disregard for the environment. I think the world can look after itself and we should enjoy it as best as we can". After the ceremony, he was hit in the face with a banana-meringue pie by Rebecca Lush of Roadblock.^[31] Clarkson took the insult with humour, commented that the pie had too much sugar, and remarked, "Great shot!"^[32]

Clarkson is one of a few celebrities who have been blamed for poor denim sales. Draper's Record, trade magazine to the fashion industry, ran an article on Clarkson's poor fashion image: "For a period in the late Nineties denim became unfashionable. "501s — Levi's flagship brand — in particular suffered from the so-called 'Jeremy Clarkson effect', the association with men in middle youth."^[33] He also received a fashion makeover from fashion gurus Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine on a celebrity edition of their style series What Not to Wear.^[34] He had previously been named as one of the world's worst-dressed celebrities by the fashionistas.^[35]

Clarkson had long been noted for his pro-smoking viewpoint, with him even publicly smoking as much as possible on National No Smoking Day. However, he announced that on 14 April 2006 that he had given up smoking. He cited that he had found a cure for the urge - the Koenigsegg CCX. He also said: "[the cure] is called smoking", in reference to "Smoking the tyres".

A number of commentators have lambasted Clarkson for his views. In particular, the liberal journalist Johann Hari has been a persistent and harsh critic . He condemns Clarkson "for saying 'speeding is no big deal', a trivial act that shouldn't even be punished with points on your licence" when Hari claims it kills nearly 1000 people a year in Britain [1]. He has accused Clarkson of having contempt for his fans, because while publicly he mocks environmentalists and denies global warming, privately he says: "I would be absolutely mad to say I don't believe in global warming when we are right bang in the middle of the hottest summer for 400 years...I lead a surprisingly green life." [2]

[edit] Works

[edit] Other motoring shows

• Jeremy Clarkson's Motorworld 1995-1996
• Clarkson's Car Years 1999-2001

[edit] Non-motoring shows

• Clarkson (1998-2000): A chat show that ran for three series
• Jeremy Clarkson's Extreme Machines (1998): where he rode all manner of machines, including a plane, and an airboat.
• Robot Wars (1997): Clarkson presented the first series of the UK version
• Jeremy Clarkson Meets The Neighbours (2002): A notorious eurosceptic, Clarkson travelled around Europe, confronting (and in some cases reinforcing) his prejudices
• Speed (2001): A series about the history of fast vehicles, including aeroplanes, boats and cars. One episode featured Michael Schumacher as a special guest.
• Have I Got News For You: hosted four episodes, the first in 2002, two in 2005 and one in 2006. Also appeared as a guest in 2003
• Inventions That Changed the World (2004): five episodes featuring the invention of the gun/computer/jet engine/telephone/television from a British point of view
• Top of the Pops: co-hosted one episode on July 24, 2005 with Fearne Cotton.
• QI: appeared as a guest on four occasions
• Room 101: appeared on this in 1995 when Nick Hancock was host. Clarkson's choices were caravans; flies; Last Of The Summer Wine; the mentality within golf clubs; and vegetarians
• Grumpy Old Men (2003-4): Clarkson appeared alongside his friend, the food critic A A Gill, in a Christmas special and then in the second full season of this series
• Jeremy Clarkson: Who Do You Think You Are? (2004): Clarkson traced his family tree for one episode of the popular documentary series
• Great Britons : In a poll to find the greatest historical Briton, Clarkson was the chief supporter for Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who came second
• The Victoria Cross: For Valour (2003): Clarkson presented a one-off documentary about the history of the Victoria Cross, highlighting as an example Major Robert Henry Cain VC - his father-in-law.
• Never Mind The Buzzcocks: Guest presenter April 10, 2006
• Jeremy Clarkson: Greatest Raid of All Time (2007): Clarkson presented a one-off documentary about Operation Chariot.

[edit] Videos/DVDs

Every year since 1995, Clarkson has released an annual video release (produced by On The Box), covering a specific motoring theme. With the exception of Shootout, it has been a tradition for him to destroy "some kind of awful car" in each release, from blowing up a Yugo with a tank to shooting down a Chevrolet Corvette with a helicopter gunship, or dismantling a Buick Park Avenue with a Bulldozer. A few other video releases were also made, issued as best of compilations of previous television series that had aired, featuring Motorworld and Extreme Machines.

• Jeremy Clarkson's Motorsport Mayhem (1995)
• Jeremy Clarkson - Unleashed On Cars (1996)
• The Best Of Jeremy Clarkson's Motorworld (1996)
• More Motorsport Mayhem Featuring Jeremy Clarkson And Steve Rider (1996)
• Jeremy Clarkson's Extreme Machines (1997)
• Jeremy Clarkson - Apocalypse Clarkson (1997)
• The Most Outrageous Jeremy Clarkson Video In The World...Ever (1998)
• Jeremy Clarkson Head To Head (1999)
• Jeremy Clarkson - At Full Throttle (2000)
• Jeremy Clarkson - Top 100 Cars (2001)
• Jeremy Clarkson - Speed (2001)
• Jeremy Clarkson - No Limits (2002)
• Jeremy Clarkson - Shootout (2003)
• Jeremy Clarkson - Hot Metal (2004)
• Jeremy Clarkson - Heaven And Hell (2005)
• Jeremy Clarkson - The Good The Bad The Ugly (2006)

[edit] Books

• Jeremy Clarkson's Motorworld (1996), ISBN 0-563-38730-0
• Clarkson on Cars: Writings and Rantings of the BBC's Top Motoring Correspondent (1996), ISBN 0-86369-964-2
• Clarkson's Hot 100 (1997), ISBN 1-85227-730-0
• Jeremy Clarkson's Planet Dagenham: Drivestyles of the Rich and Famous (1998), ISBN 0-233-99335-5
• Born to Be Riled: The Collected Writings of Jeremy Clarkson (1999)(Re-published 2007), ISBN 0-563-55146-1
• Jeremy Clarkson's Ultimate Ferrari (2001), ISBN 1-84065-358-2
• The World According To Clarkson (2004), ISBN 0-7181-4730-8
• Clarkson on Cars (2004), ISBN 0-14-101788-0
• I Know You Got Soul (2004), ISBN 0-7181-4729-4
• Motorworld (2004), ISBN 0-14-101787-2
• The World According to Clarkson 2: And Another Thing... (2006), ISBN 0-7181-4985-8

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Jeremy Clarkson at the Internet Movie Database
• Archive of Clarkson's Sunday Times columns
• Petition opposing Clarkson's receiving an honorary degree
• Some best bit of Clarkson
• Clarkson column including his view of Wikipedia

edit Top Gear
Top Gear (1977 to 2001) - Top Gear (2002 to present)
Original format presenters
Jason Barlow - Steve Berry - Julia Bradbury - Jeremy Clarkson - Vicki Butler-Henderson - Brendan Coogan - Noel Edmonds - Chris Goffey - Kate Humble Tony Mason - James May - Tiff Needell - Michele Newman - Angela Rippon - Quentin Willson - William Woollard
Current format presenters
Jeremy Clarkson - Jason Dawe - Richard Hammond - James May - The Stig
Current format episodes and broadcasters
Top Gear Episode List - Top Gear Broadcasters and Video Releases
Current format featured segments
Power Laps - Races - Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car - The Cool Wall - Caravan destruction - Cheap Car Challenges
Spin-offs
Rally Report - Top Gear Motorsport - Stars in Fast Cars - Top Gear of the Pops
Related articles
Top Gear Magazine - Jon Bentley - Fifth Gear

Persondata
NAME	Clarkson, Jeremy Charles Robert
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Jezza
SHORT DESCRIPTION	British automotive journalist; Top Gear host
DATE OF BIRTH	April 11, 1960
PLACE OF BIRTH	Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH