Jeremy Clarkson, best known for presenting Top Gear, The Grand Tour, and Clarkson's Farm, had a surprising start to his career: he worked as a travelling salesman for his parents' toy company, which created the Paddington Bear stuffed toy.
Clarkson's First Job: A Travelling Salesman
Writing in his Sunday Times column, the 66-year-old revealed that his first job involved selling toys made by his parents, Shirley and Eddie Clarkson. 'In my first year on the job I sold absolutely nothing at all,' he admitted. 'It turned out that I was a terrible salesman. I'd walk into a toyshop and ask the owner if he'd like to buy a stuffed dog or maybe a preposterous 3ft-tall felt Captain Beaky. He'd say 'No' and I'd say 'Ok' and that would be that.'
The Paddington Bear Connection
Jeremy's parents made their fortune after designing the first-ever prototype of the Paddington Bear stuffed toy in 1972. Author Michael Bond, creator of Paddington, initially considered legal action over copyright but after a chance meeting in a lift, he granted them a licence. 'I got in the lift with Shirley and Eddie,' Bond recalled in 2014. 'They were terribly nice and pretended it had all been a mistake — and we were friends by the time we got out of the lift. I gave them a licence.'
Perks of the Job
Despite his lack of sales, Jeremy enjoyed one perk: a company car, a Volkswagen Scirocco with fuel injection. 'I loved that car,' he wrote, noting that the job gave him 'the ability to move about and see things.' This love of travel later influenced his career in television.
Mother's Reflection
Before her passing, Shirley Clarkson reflected on the toy's impact: 'I've got a Paddington bear on the dashboard of my car. I looked at it recently and thought if it hadn't been for the success of the toys, Jeremy wouldn't have had all the chances he's had in life.'
Today, Clarkson is busy filming season six of Clarkson's Farm at Diddly Squat Farm in the Cotswolds, a far cry from his early days as a toy salesman.
