Chris Evans and Top Gear-£3 mill. Money well spent?

They were such a good combination, I can't see the BBC being able to recreate it by selecting some random presenters.

In the past people have been rude about my Irish ancestry and they've certainly been very rude about DH's Italian ancestry, but I've never considered it racist

The fact the BBC pay such wages is the criminal act.

Chris Evans may carry it off but Clarkson, May and Hammond were a winning team irrespective of whether or not individuals like them. (especially those who have never even watched Top Gear). .

They brought a lot of financial gain for the BBC as Top Gear is shown worldwide and obviously very popular.

You either got their banter or you didn't, I enjoyed it.

Where there's blame there's a claim.

I would imagine there has been a lawyer straining in the starting blocks ever since it happened.

Kerrrrching!

Whilst I can't stand Jeremy Clarkson or Chris Evans for that matter, I think it was only a matter of time before lawyers entered the ring. The smell of money must have been hard to ignore.

Would it have been racist if he had been from Birmingham or Newcastle and JC had called him a Brummie something or other or a Geordie Whatsit?

The fact that he was Irish surely only adds a nought or two to the settlement figure.

Blimey JC and the Beeb should be glad he wasn't a short,fat,gay, bespectacled, Geordie of Asian origin.

Nellie did you not see what he said and how it was done?
Re his victim -plenty was said at the time about the assault but nothing was ever mentioned about it being racist. Is this man not just being opportunist? Or am I a bully for saying that?

Jane10 Racist remarks are never tongue in cheek to anyone on the recieving end. (I assume from your remarks you have never been bullied yourself.) If you were how did it make you feel?

That idea is what bullies say. Oh! we were only having a bit of fun. (while nastily teasing their victim.)

Oisin Tymon who was the producer of Top gear is Irish. I can fully imagine Clarkson throwing that fact a him as a racist slur as well as a physical assault.
IMO Clarkson is an odious nasty git too full of himself by half.

Chris Evans is similarly too full of his own importance, but I have not heard him resort to the sort of verbal spitefulness that Clarkson does.
(Mind you I have rarely ever listened to Chris Evans as I can't stand him either.)

The victim is now suing Jeremy for racial discrimination. Sounded a bit odd to me. Jeremy is famous for his racist remarks (with tongue firmly in cheek) but the assault that he has fully admitted to wasn't racist. I reckon it was an equal opportunity punch ie he'd have punched anyone under those circumstances and the mood he was in.

Interestingly it now turns out that the 'fracas' was reported to the BBC by... Jeremy Clarkson

Anyone fancy being part of the team? www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/sllGCblzvlcy2Mg83y6YgG/search-for-a-top-gear-star

Now should that have been a grin, *merlotgran", or was it a Freudian slip?

Now I might support a grumpy old woman esp if she's not totally PC. I loved the mum's episode too especially James May's mum speeding off. He may be Captain Slow but he certainly didn't learn that method of driving from his mum.

Maybe we should offer to write an episode for them. I love Maggie's KAK registration. [gin]

I loved Top Gear but I won't be watching it with Chris Evans I'm afraid. Having Jodie Kidd as a presenter sounds great but I watched some of the Classic Car programmes she did with Quentin Wilson and they were beyond dire!

Re the grumpy old woman - one of my favourite Top Gear episodes was the one where they got their mothers to review cars. Their main criteria were does it start in the morning and can I get Classic FM on the radio?What's not to like?

Do the people who object to speedy driving in controlled conditions think Formula 1 racing should be banned? It's the same thing only even more so.

There's plenty of stories in the media about what uncontrolled and 'experimental' and just plain silly drug use does to people. If that doesn't put people off what will?

I'm not so sure all that many young people bother with Top Gear. They're too busy on their X boxes and other gizmos. I am also aware that a lot of new drivers are absolutely clueless when it comes to the mechanics of driving. I think reckless behaviour whether on or off the roads is more likely to be influenced by computer games and the like.

trisher, young people don't need to see somebody injecting heroin under controlled conditions - any TV drama depicting the darker side of life will give them all the encouragement they need if they are that way inclined.

I do think we need to credit some of our young people with more than a modicum of common sense don't you?

Perhaps if they were to put some of the vast profits made into providing somewhere safe for youngsters to drive at speed I would feel better about it.

If someone was shown in a clinic somewhere injecting heroin under controlled conditions would you consider it OK to show that? Or would you worry that it might encourage drug use?
I know they have all the safety angles covered but young people just see someone driving fast and want to copy them, without any of the facilities the presenters have.

Oh I agree, thatbags. I really couldn't care less what goes on on Top Gear, or off road, as long as it goes on well away from other people.

The speeding done on Top Gear is all in highly controlled conditions. That is not advocacy for speeding on ordinary roads in ordinary circumstances.

I have never to my knowledge listened to Chris Evans talking about anything so I don't know in what circs he is alleged to have been 'joking' about speeding. Clarkson used to talk about speed limits and about speed cameras but only certain ones on certain roads. His arguments were not unreasonable even if one didn't agree with them.

Celebrities baking cakes is probably balanced a little bit by programmes showing healthy eating options and people losing weight merlotgran and gillybob. I have yet to see a proramme showing the outcomes that arise from speeding-dead bodies, severely disabled young adults, bereft families or guilty drivers whose best friend died. If you overeat you might kill yourself. if you speed you can kill and injure other people.

I think maggiemaybe's idea could be a winner! The Grumpy Old Woman part she describes might go down quite well given its contrast to the other 'parts' in the programme.

It'll be interesting to see how many of the former fans who say they aren't going to watch TG any more actually don't.