Former Top Gear star Jeremy Clarkson has unleashed a fierce critique of the BBC, accusing the broadcaster of hitting a "new low" with its "worst ever" Christmas Day viewing figures. In a candid column for The Times, Clarkson, who was dismissed from the BBC in 2015, stated his life had "improved immeasurably" since leaving, but expressed a "tiny bit smug" satisfaction over the scandals that have since engulfed the corporation.
From 'Naughty Scallywag' to Major Scandals
Clarkson, 65, reflected on his own controversial tenure, where he was often portrayed as the BBC's "ultimate bad boy" and treated like a "naughty scallywag" for transgressions such as the naming of his dog. However, he argued these were trivial compared to the serious controversies involving other BBC figures. He pointed to the convictions of Rolf Harris in 2014, the Jimmy Savile scandal exposed in 2012, and more recently, former newsreader Huw Edwards, sentenced in 2024 for possessing indecent images of children.
He also criticised recent editorial failures, including the editing of a Donald Trump speech in a Panorama documentary and the employment of a reporter in Gaza with alleged links to terrorism. Clarkson took aim at Doctor Who writer Russell T Davies, suggesting "ham-fisted climate change dialogue" in the spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea had "ruined" the show. He further condemned the broadcast of Glastonbury performer Bob Vylan inciting chants of 'death to the IDF'.
A Call for Radical Change: Scrap the Fee, Create 'Britflix'
Clarkson contended that these cumulative failures must have consequences. He linked them directly to the BBC's dismal festive performance, where Christmas Day peak ratings were almost two-thirds lower than the previous year. The King's Christmas message drew 4.6 million viewers, a stark drop from the 12.5 million who watched the Gavin and Stacey special in 2024.
He claimed the BBC lost over £1 billion in revenue last year as households turned away, and argued the licence fee model is now unsustainable. Clarkson proposed the BBC should abolish the fee and merge with other British broadcasters to form a new streaming giant, which he suggested calling 'Britflix'. This entity, he argued, should focus on producing high-quality British drama to compete with platforms like Netflix and Disney+, rather than draining resources on low-cost daytime programming.
Producer Backs Clarkson, Reveals BBC 'Wedge' Attempt
Adding weight to Clarkson's grievances, former Top Gear executive producer Andy Wilman launched his own attack on the BBC in his new memoir. Wilman, 63, accused a small group at the corporation of misunderstanding Clarkson and unfairly "tarring them with the same brush as comic Bernard Manning" over politically incorrect jokes.
Wilman revealed that after Clarkson's 2015 dismissal following a physical and verbal altercation with producer Oisin Tymon, the BBC tried to "put a wedge between" the iconic presenting trio. "They thought they could just blithely go, 'Right, let’s put a wedge between them, and then we’ll have two of them and we’ll f*** them over,'" Wilman stated. Instead, Richard Hammond and James May left with Clarkson to launch the successful The Grand Tour on Amazon's Prime Video.
Wilman also claimed BBC executives once suggested replacing one of the three white, middle-aged hosts with a "young... black or Asian presenter," a move he called patronising to the diverse audience that already enjoyed the show. Top Gear was ultimately cancelled in 2024 after a near-fatal crash involving host Freddie Flintoff.
The BBC, while still claiming nine of the top ten Christmas Day slots, faces what critics describe as its worst-ever festive ratings performance. With Clarkson's broadside adding to ongoing scandals and a $10 billion lawsuit from Donald Trump, the pressure on the national broadcaster has rarely been higher.
