Top Gear
Profile: Jeremy Clarkson
Where motors are concerned, there's no room for subtleties or flowery verbosity. Outrageous, outspoken and quite often out of order, Clarkson boasts an ursine onscreen persona the equivalent of a sledgehammer: a no-nonsense tool, verbally bludgeoning its way through any artifice that stands in its way.
School's out forever
As you might expect from one so opinionated, the bear-like bouffant haired boy-racer comes from affluent middle-class stock. Born in Doncaster in 1961, his crush on cars was not immediately evident. Maverick behaviour, however, was more apparent in which his redoubtable magistrate mother may have been an influence. His claims of being expelled from public school for drinking, smoking and copping off with girls, while perhaps not being necessarily true, all add to the larger than life legend.
The pen is mightier than the Ford
Despite the fact that he always seems to have looked the same, Clarkson was only 28 when he first presented Top Gear way back in 1989. Not bad for a former journalist who learnt his trade in the humble surroundings of the Rotherham Advertiser. The car calling came when he passed his driving test at the wheel of his grandfathers 'R' type Bentley. It wasn't long before pen mixed with passion which lead to him forming the Motoring Press Agency in 1984, as well as contributing to most specialist car magazines over the forthcoming years.
The ego has landed
In spite of "that" hair and "those" jeans, our Jezza has of course gone on to pursue a highly successful TV career, even though most screens struggle to contain his hulking ego. Aside from the motoring shows, he made the unlikely move of hosting his own chatshow, ingeniously named "Clarkson", presented "Meet The Neighbours" and recently appeared in the "Great Britons" series, arguing the case for Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
Show him the money
For a man not renowned for introspection and considered opinion, it was perhaps a surprise to see Jezza on the BBC family history show "Who Do You Think You Are?". In fact, when he was first approached to take part, the big man's response was an abrupt "Too boring to bother with". In the end, he discovered his great-great grandfather had invented the "Kilner" jar but with no sign of a family patent, Jeremy's search for a possible windfall to swell his already swollen coffers proved futile .
Quote him happy
Want a real insight into the big man himself? Then what better than for us to shut up and let Jezza speak for himself:
On the Aston Martin Vantage V600
"This car has SO much torque, that it is known to rip the clothes off pedestrians as it passes by"
"I'm the product of 200 years of interbreeding - I'm surprised I haven't got one eye."
"One day, when everyone stops watching, Formula 1 will wither and die. Not that this matters to the rich old men who run it today because they'll all be dead by then."
Related links:
Top Gear
As you might expect from one so opinionated, the bear-like bouffant haired boy-racer comes from affluent middle-class stock. Born in Doncaster in 1961, his crush on cars was not immediately evident. Maverick behaviour, however, was more apparent in which his redoubtable magistrate mother may have been an influence. His claims of being expelled from public school for drinking, smoking and copping off with girls, while perhaps not being necessarily true, all add to the larger than life legend.
The pen is mightier than the Ford
Despite the fact that he always seems to have looked the same, Clarkson was only 28 when he first presented Top Gear way back in 1989. Not bad for a former journalist who learnt his trade in the humble surroundings of the Rotherham Advertiser. The car calling came when he passed his driving test at the wheel of his grandfathers 'R' type Bentley. It wasn't long before pen mixed with passion which lead to him forming the Motoring Press Agency in 1984, as well as contributing to most specialist car magazines over the forthcoming years.
The ego has landed
In spite of "that" hair and "those" jeans, our Jezza has of course gone on to pursue a highly successful TV career, even though most screens struggle to contain his hulking ego. Aside from the motoring shows, he made the unlikely move of hosting his own chatshow, ingeniously named "Clarkson", presented "Meet The Neighbours" and recently appeared in the "Great Britons" series, arguing the case for Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
Show him the money
For a man not renowned for introspection and considered opinion, it was perhaps a surprise to see Jezza on the BBC family history show "Who Do You Think You Are?". In fact, when he was first approached to take part, the big man's response was an abrupt "Too boring to bother with". In the end, he discovered his great-great grandfather had invented the "Kilner" jar but with no sign of a family patent, Jeremy's search for a possible windfall to swell his already swollen coffers proved futile .
Quote him happy
Want a real insight into the big man himself? Then what better than for us to shut up and let Jezza speak for himself:
On the Aston Martin Vantage V600
"This car has SO much torque, that it is known to rip the clothes off pedestrians as it passes by"
"I'm the product of 200 years of interbreeding - I'm surprised I haven't got one eye."
"One day, when everyone stops watching, Formula 1 will wither and die. Not that this matters to the rich old men who run it today because they'll all be dead by then."
Related links:
Top Gear
When is it on?
- Top Gear is next on at 1.00pm on Sunday 18th May on Dave
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