Top Gear’s Most Controversial Moments: From Clarkson To LeBlanc
Top Gear, especially during the days of Clarkson, Hammond and May, was always known for its controversies. It put it at the top of newspaper headlines and kept it in our conversations. Even once the legendary trio left, it still maintained this habit. So here are the biggest controversies from Top Gear, with and without Jeremy Clarkson.
“GINGER BEER”
By using the term ‘ginger beer’ to create some rather tasteless gay jokes, they caused outrage in the homosexual community. Although they technically only received four formal complaints. Hurrah!
HITLER JOKES
What makes a car “quintessentially German?” Maybe the sat-nav only points to Poland, and the turn signals display Hitler salutes. It was pretty funny back then, but in today’s world, a bit more sobering.
RICHARD HAMMOND AND MEXICO
Our Richard Hammond described a Mexican as “a lazy, feckless, flatulent oaf with a moustache, leaning against a fence asleep, looking at a cactus with a blanket with a hole in the middle on as a coat.” There wasn’t much he could do to defend himself.
ARGENTINA NEARLY KILLS THE BOYS
Jeremy’s license plate in the Patagonia special, which read “H982 FKL,” set off an incident that became ultimately dangerous for the cast and crew. Despite Jeremy’s insistence that it was not a reference of the Falklands War, the boys were literally chased out of the country by an angry mob. James May also went on radio to again state that it was only an alarming coincidence.
LORRY DRIVERS AND PROSTITUTES
This moment alone got 500 complaints sent to the BBC. Poor truckers!
DEAD COW ON A CAMARO
During the US South Special, Jeremy turned up to a meal with a dead cow on his car. Of course, the cow had been dead for days before this was filmed, but this still didn’t stop people from thinking Jeremy u the car down just for this skit.
NURSERY RYHMES
Even in an outtake, we would dissuade you from muttering racist words under your breath. You never know if it will bite you in the future. Jeremy had to make a public apology for this one!
CENOTAPH DONUTS
LeBlanc picked up the habit straight away when he took a joyride through London with Mr Ken Block. It resulted in some burnouts and donuts in front of the Cenotaph. Obviously, it upset quite a few people.
