Jeremy Clarkson

Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson ( born April 11, 1960 in Doncaster, England ) is a British presenter, author and journalist.

He became famous in 1989 by the car magazine Top Gear, in which he was the main presenter until 1999. After a pause, he returned again in 2002 back to Top Gear, which was only presented by three presenters - Richard Hammond Jason Dawe (until 2003) and James May ( from 2003). The show won the 2005 International Emmy for best entertainment show. Clarkson writes weekly columns for British newspapers such as The Sunday Times and The Sun. He is married to his agent Frances Catherine Cain since 1993 and the couple have three children.

Controversies

In October 1998, the company Hyundai complained to the BBC about statements in the Birmingham Motor Show, which she found to be " narrow-minded and racist". She was referring to the statement, the Hyundai officials had " eaten a dog ". He allegedly called the employees at the BMW stand as "Nazis" and the cars as " Nazi staff cars ". Clarkson also sparked protests by a crowd running from him Hitler salute. In December, the BBC noted Clarkson's remarks on his show Top Gear had homosexuals can face his hurtful and therefore should not be sent. While filming in February 2004 Clarkson rammed a 30 -year-old horse chestnut with a Toyota Hilux to prove how stable this is. This led to a compensation payment of the BBC to the local community, which had gone up to the broadcast of the program Top Gear of an act of vandalism local resident.

Clarkson polarized and provoked by his politically incorrect statements and satirical and ironic asides. Through his uncompromising commitment to the car and the fun of driving a car he is also always the ire of environmentalists themselves. Furthermore, he often prefers to attack the transport policy of the British government. These attitudes have Clarkson made ​​not only among British car friends a cult figure. The show Top Gear is broadcast around the world while achieving high ratings. His verbal attacks often meet Americans, but also German, French, Swiss, and not least his British compatriots.

The BBC has faced despite some indignant reactions from viewers repeatedly demonstratively behind Clarkson and his team. " Provocative statements " by Jeremy Clarkson and his two co- presenters James May and Richard Hammond should not be taken seriously and accounted for a major attraction of the show. Sarcasm is part of the concept, and the audience should know that by now. Furthermore, it was announced that Clarkson often greatly exaggerated stereotypes griffins, to substantiate his views or defend. Of course, the BBC would intervene if it would make it appear that provocative remarks were meant seriously.

In early 2008 he mocked in a newspaper column about the fact that the outrage over the loss of 25 million records relating to child benefit recipients by post in the UK just " much ado about nothing " was. To prove the harmlessness of the missing information, he published his bank account, on the assumption that one can now simply transfer money to him. Days later, however, his 500 pounds were deducted and remitted to a diabetes- relief organization. He moved then his statements publicly back and joined the other side to:

" I was wrong and I was punished [ ... ] Contrary to what I said earlier, we need to identify the idiots who lost the discs "

His bank told him that she could the perpetrator because of data protection (Data Protection Act ) does not identify and also can not prevent this from happening again.

Other activities

Clarkson has also released several DVDs under his name. Under the title " The Good, the Bad and the Ugly " he goes, for example, with usual satirical and ironic nature of the question of whether at all a good car produced in the United States.

In 2007, Clarkson and his colleague James May as part of a Top Gear: Polar Special, the first people who arrived at the set in the Polar Challenge magnetic north with a car.

In addition, the presenters of Top Gear (including " The Stig " ) in 2007 drove at Silverstone with the 24- hour race. They took here under the regular race conditions in part with a BMW 330d.

So far, eleven times (as of 5/2013 ) was Clarkson rate guest in comedic quiz show QI - Quite Interesting.