Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson - famous for his politically incorrect comments - is to launch the American version of the show to be shown on NBC - but the Yorkshireman has turned down an offer of presenting the show full-time as he does not want to leave Britain.
The British TV show, about motor vehicles, is one of the most popular shows on British television, and has an estimated 385 million viewers worldwide.
CLARKSON GEARS UP FOR US SHOW
EXCLUSIVE
* Americans snap up car star
* No deal for Hamster & May
By Katie Hind Katie.Hind@People.Co.Uk
The People
3rd August
Top Gear presenters Jeremy Clarkson (left), Hamster and James May. Clarkson turned down a chance to host the US version of the hit BBC show as he does not want to leave Britain
Speedster: Jeremy Clarkson on an episode of the BBC's Top Gear
The British TV show, about motor vehicles, is one of the most popular shows on British television, and has an estimated 385 million viewers worldwide.
CLARKSON GEARS UP FOR US SHOW
EXCLUSIVE
* Americans snap up car star
* No deal for Hamster & May
By Katie Hind Katie.Hind@People.Co.Uk
The People
3rd August
Top Gear presenters Jeremy Clarkson (left), Hamster and James May. Clarkson turned down a chance to host the US version of the hit BBC show as he does not want to leave Britain
Motormouth Jeremy Clarkson is to launch Top Gear in America - without Richard Hammond and James May.
Us network NBC wanted Clarkson to be the full-time host after buying the rights from the Beeb.
But the outspoken presenter turned it down because he does not want to quit Britain.
Instead, 47-year-old Clarkson will make a series of guest appearances doing road tests - and help promote the show.
The deal is a snub for his Top Gear co-stars Hammond - nicknamed Hamster - and May.
Speedster: Jeremy Clarkson on an episode of the BBC's Top Gear
A source said: "They will be upset - but they have to accept they're not as popular as Jeremy. NBC were gutted Jeremy would not take the role full-time.
"But they're delighted he'll star in the show because he's the typical Brit Americans love.
"They are also thrilled he will take part in the promotion - he's such a controversial character." Clarkson's new role comes as Hammond, 35, and May, 45, have been handed big pay rises after a bitter battle with the BBC.
Hamster's wages have soared from £15,000 a show to £25,000.
And May has seen his salary DOUBLE to £20,000 an episode.
But their earnings are dwarfed by Clarkson's £2million-a-year contract with the corporation (Clarkson was the brains behind the creation of Top Gear).
Hamster made headlines two years ago when he crashed a rocket-powered car at 288mph.
He was left fighting for life - but made a miracle recovery.
people.co.uk
HERE ARE SOME OF JEREMY CLARKSON'S MOST FAMOUS QUOTES:
On places
- There are signs directing you away from Birmingham but nothing enticing you in.
- Oxford hates the car.
- God may have created the world in six days, but while he was resting on the seventh, Beelzebub popped up and did this place. (Detroit)
Motoring in general
- We all know that small cars are good for us. But so is cod liver oil. And jogging.
- Speed has never killed anyone, suddenly becoming stationary... That's what gets you.
- I've seen gangrenous wounds better looking than this. ( Clarkson on the Porsche Cayenne)
- (Referring to the Porsche Cayenne) 0-60 takes 5 and a half seconds...and about 17 gallons of fuel....
- Now we've been told in this new series, we've got to feature more green cars. So here's one. It's really the greenest car we could find, really. (A bright green Lamborghini Murcielago)
- Now we get quite a few complaints that we don't feature enough affordable cars on the show, so we're kicking off tonight with the cheapest Ferrari of them all. (a Ferrari F430)
- (At start of Top Gear Nov. 2005 season, after a teaser featuring dozens of supercars)....and welcome to Greenpeace.
- A turbo, exhaust gasses go into the turbocharger and spin it, witchcraft happens and you go faster.
- This is the latest S Class. Now availiable with a very economical: Twin-turbo, Six litre... I dont mean economical do I? Thats the wrong word...
- I do apologize, we have wasted your evening, there are no good Korean or Malaisian cars.
- You know? Thats the nineteenth caravan we've destroyed on this progamme in 12 months.
- If i had to nitpick, and obviously i do.
- At this point the Germans are propably rolling around on the floor laughing, so: "Ze tommies have made ein car out of spit und kleenex, zhey vill be crushed!!" (Testing the MG SV prototype)
- Owning a TVR in the past was like owning a bear, i mean it was great, until it pulled your head off, which it would. One day, it would pull your head off.
- In the olden days i always got the impression that TVR built a car, put it on sale, and then found out how it handled. Usually when one of their customers wrote to the factory complaining about how dead he was.
Praise for cars
- I'd like to consider Ferrari as a scaled down version of God.
- The Ferrari 355 is like a quail's egg dipped in celery salt and served in Julia Roberts' belly button.
- (On the Alfa Romeo Brera) Think of it as Angelina Jolie. You've heard she's mad and eats nothing but wallpaper paste. But you would, wouldn't you?
- The Caterham may only have 250 hp, but you have to remember that it weighs about the same.....as a j-cloth.
- We start tonight with the highlight of my childhood. It's the Ladybird Book of Motorcars from 1963, and as you would imagine it's full of rubbish really. Just endless boring grey shapes, until you get to page 40, where you find the Maserati 3500 GT. Now this for me, when I was little, was like kind of Jordan and Cameron Diaz. In a bath together. With a Lightning jet fighter. And lots of jelly.
- If this car was a breakfast. It would be cornflakes on toast.
- (On the Mercedes CLS55 AMG)It sounds like Barry White eating wasps.
- Aston Martin DB9, thats not really a racing car, that's pornography.
- (Ariel Atom) This is driving Nirvana! You can forget anything you've ever driven, anything. There is no car, nothing on four wheels, that is as fast as this.
- The most Hard core BMW ever made. (M3 CSL)
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