Jeremy Clarkson has broken his silence on the prospect of a Top Gear revival, sharing his vision for what a new version of the show should look like. The 66-year-old, who hosted the popular BBC programme alongside Richard Hammond and James May from 2003 to 2015 before the trio launched The Grand Tour, believes a potential return should focus on consumer journalism to help viewers navigate the evolving automotive landscape.
Clarkson's Vision for a New Top Gear
Speaking to The Times, Clarkson stated: "There is an opening for someone to review electrical cars because no one really understands them. I'm not going to watch it but there are lots of people who do want to know about all these Chinese cars because it's all completely changing." He added that the show should be "a consumer programme, which would be quite a ballsy thing to do because no one wants to go back to the Seventies. Like What Car magazine on television."
Top Gear's Hiatus and Future
Top Gear was put on hold in 2023 after the BBC announced it would not return for the "foreseeable future," citing presenter Freddie Flintoff's injuries. A BBC statement at the time said: "We know resting the show will be disappointing news for fans, but it is the right thing to do." Despite this, a BBC Studios spokesperson commented: "The Top Gear brand continues to thrive across digital, publishing and global formats. As a commercial producer, we're always exploring new ways to develop the brand and reach audiences by leveraging such iconic IP."
Richard Hammond's Take
Clarkson's remarks follow those of his former co-host Richard Hammond, who last year told the Oxford Mail that Top Gear being off air is nothing new. "It's been off-air before. It's been on and off air for the last 40 odd years," Hammond said. "It is a BBC-owned show, it was a magazine show about cars, and it's gone through various incarnations. It had been off the air for a few years when we took it on, and then we did our thing with it, and then they gave it on to another team, and they did their thing. Yes, it ended after Freddie's crash, and my reaction to that was, 'Oh god, poor Freddie, that sounds awful'. To the show being taken off air, the BBC has big-name shows that it rests, and then it brings back."
Clarkson, who has also gained fame as a farmer since leaving Top Gear, remains sceptical about his own viewership but acknowledges a potential audience for a revamped format focused on electric vehicles and consumer advice.
