Top Gear star, James May, reckons his exit from the show was avoidable despite his co-host, Jeremy Clarkso n, punching the programme’s producer.
Following an alleged row over the lack of hot food on hand after a long day of filming in Yorkshire, the Clarkson’s Farm star punches Oisin Tymon on the set in 2015, James, Jeremy, and Richard Hammond left Top Gear.
Jeremy left the show after the incident, and an investigation was launched. The successful era of the series came to an end when co-stars James and Richard refused to sign new deals with the BBC.
After working with Jeremy and Richard on Amazon’s Grand Tour in 2015, James opened up about the “punch gate” and said: “I don’t actually think our Top Gear had to end because of it. To be honest, I believe it could have been fixed and reduced to a small amount of high stress and flightiness.
Speaking to the Sunday Times, he continued: “It happened. It’s regrettable and it’s unfortunate, but it didn’t need to lead to the collapse of something very successful”.
James reportedly was barred from his newly opened posh boozer in Oxfordshire despite spending years working together and traveling the world. James acknowledges that the pair’s relationship is no longer the same as it was when he lifted the veil.
The petrolhead claimed he did contact Jeremy after his recent heart attack and that the pair had recently met at a funeral. However, he said he doesn’t want to go to the Farmer’s Dog because it’s 80 miles away from his home.
James shared: “I did actually see him a few weeks ago, at a funeral, unfortunately, of someone we both knew. He seemed all right. We just seem older”.
The famous trio have now ended up in different places with Jeremy impressing viewers on Prime Video’s Clarkson’s Farm, James in James May and the Dull Men, shown on Discovery+ and Richard on his car restoration show Richard Hammond’s Workshop.
Like James, Richard has also known Jeremy for years, however giving an insight into the pair’s relationship, he joked that he also wanted to be banned from the presenter’s pub.
Speaking on The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X, he said: “No, I haven’t been yet. I want to go and get banned. Therefore, I must summon the drive to accomplish that. I don’t think it’ll be that difficult. I think he’s already banned James”.
With Mirror Celebs, you can get all the showbiz news.
Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs onTikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTubeandThreads.
Source: Mirror
Leave a Reply