Former Top Gear host Steve Berry has labelled Jeremy Clarkson a “massive show-off” and an “egotist”, revealing he “never liked” his former co-star. Berry, 61, who presented the BBC motoring series from 1993 to 1999, said the pair “never really got on” during their six years working together.
In an interview with Al Arabiya News, Berry described Clarkson as a “less bombastic” version of his on-screen persona in real life, but acknowledged that his personality makes him “unique”. “We butted heads with each other,” Berry said. “Do you know what? I’ve said I don’t like him, but I respect him.”
Berry recalled an early encounter with Clarkson, now 65, on a shoot: “He turned up two hours late. I turned up half an hour early because I wanted to impress. The crew were fuming. Absolutely fuming.” Berry added that Clarkson was the “leader” of the trio when he hosted Top Gear with James May and Richard Hammond, saying there was a clear hierarchy: “There’s James and there’s Richard and then there’s Jezza [Clarkson], and Jezza is the leader of the gang.”
Despite their strained relationship, Berry noted a moment of camaraderie at a car show: “He said, ‘Berry, people know we don't like each other, I'll buy you a pint and we'll stand over there pretending we like each other.’” Clarkson, Hammond and May later moved to The Grand Tour on Prime Video, ending their working relationship last year. Top Gear itself concluded after a serious crash involving host Freddie Flintoff.
