Jeremy Clarkson has had his say on the decision to halt production of the popular BBC show he formerly hosted, Top Gear. It comes in the wake of Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff's horror crash, which in hindsight was the death knell of the motoring show.
Clarkson was sacked from presenting the programme prior to signing a deal with Amazon Prime Video, where he, alongside regular co-hosts James May and Richard Hammond, host The Grand Tour. After a few shuffles of new presenters, the BBC eventually settled for Flintoff, Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris as the new faces of the show.
Clarkson used his column in The Sun to ask for the programme to not get the axe. Under the headline 'Top Gear has to be saved', he wrote: "in these days of soft and cuddly eco-madness, we need programmes like it more than ever".
Regarding the crash and Freddie Flintoff , Clarkson said: "There will of course be an inquiry into the appalling accident that has ended Freddie Flintoff’s spell as a host of Top Gear."
"From what I can gather, it was absolutely horrific and it will take a very long time before he’s fully recovered. So I can quite understand why he would choose to do something else in future."
Clarkson continued to ask BBC bosses to save Top Gear, saying: "I do hope, however, that my old mates who run the show can find a way of saving it."
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BBC Studios have apologised to Flintoff following an investigation into his crash while filming in Surrey, saying it will not continue production on the latest series of the show. The corporation "will continue to support" Flintoff "with his recovery".
It also said: "Under the circumstances, we feel it would be inappropriate to resume making series 34 of Top Gear at this time. We understand this will be disappointing for fans, but it is the right thing to do, and we'll make a judgment about how best to continue later this year.
"This has also impacted the production team, who we continue to support. Finally there will be a health and safety review of the show, in line with our procedures."
The 45-year-old was taken to hospital after his crash whilst shooting at the Top Gear test track at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey in December 2022.
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