Jeremy Clarkson has responded to the news that Top Gear is officially returning to the BBC, cheekily revealing the “secret sauce” he claims made the show a success. The BBC announced the return of the motoring programme last week, and the former star has now offered his opinion in his column in The Sun.
Top Gear first started in 1977, but it became a major BBC hit in the 2000s with Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May fronting the show. It has been off air for four years, after Freddie Flintoff was seriously injured in a crash during filming.
Clarkson's 'Secret Sauce'
Clarkson spent 20 years filming Top Gear episodes. In his column, he wrote: “The BBC announced this week that it wouldn't comment on speculation, and then commented on speculation that Top Gear is coming back, saying that it is.
“I wish them well with the project and will even tell them about the secret sauce I used to make the show a ratings winner around the world.”
As for what the secret sauce was, he revealed: “Every Monday morning, I'd arrive in the production office, sit down and think: ‘Right. What can I do this week to annoy the BBC?’ That's the key. To attract the viewers, they have to make a show the BBC absolutely hates.”
BBC Confirmation and New Host Speculation
BBC’s director of entertainment, Ed Havard, said at the Edinburgh TV festival on Thursday: “There has been a lot of speculation about this and we can confirm that Top Gear is coming back.”
Clarkson, who once punched a producer, was told his contract would not be renewed at the end of the 22nd season, before his co-hosts Hammond and May left alongside him. The trio then started another motoring show on Amazon Prime Video called The Grand Tour.
They were initially replaced by Chris Evans and Matt Le Blanc before Flintoff, Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris took over the reins in 2018. Fans have been speculating on who the new hosts could be, and Havard was asked whether comedian Jimmy Carr, a known car enthusiast who was a guest in 2004, would be considered. He responded: “I’m not going to talk about talent today. Jimmy would be a great host but I won’t be discussing that today. We will have more information on Top Gear shortly.”
Flintoff's Crash and Aftermath
Top Gear was suspended after Flintoff’s crash at Dunsfold aerodrome in Surrey when the Morgan Super 3 he was driving flipped upside down. He was rushed to hospital with facial and rib injuries and later revealed he didn’t leave home for six months other than to get to medical appointments.
He later said his son, Preston, who was three at the time, “wouldn’t come near me” and speaking on his Disney+ documentary he added: “I think it frightened him, my face; it frightened me. That was heartbreaking.” The former England cricketer also said: “I’ve got PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder] and I get anxious, for periods of time. I just find myself crying for no particular reason.”
