The Grand Tour

Jeremy Clarkson Reveals Why He First Took The Top Gear Job

It turns out that Top Gear wasn’t what Jeremy Clarkson‘s dream job when he started presenting on the BBC show. He wasn’t bothered by the fact it got him on TV, but instead thought it would further his writing career. He didn’t think the Top Gear job would “lead anywhere”.

He told GQ magazine: “I did it because I was absolutely starving. I certainly didn’t think it would lead anywhere because in my first year on Top Gear I got paid £180.

“And I think after ten years I’d got up to about £2,500.”

Jeremy began his Top Gear career in 1988 where he joined the team as a presenter. It didn’t properly take off until its reboot in 2002 where he starred alongside Richard Hammond, Jason Dawe, and eventually James May.

“Obviously, it became very well paid, but I just took it because I thought it might open the doors to some more writing,” Jeremy said.

“I mean, I looked at myself in the mirror and thought, ‘That’s not a natural face for TV’.”

GQ continued to ask whether he still enjoys making TV after moving to The Grand Tour under Amazon’s control.

“Honestly. I could sit here and be extremely rude about May and Richard Hammond and I would enjoy that very much,” he said.

“But the truth is as soon as we get to Heathrow on Sunday, the three of us – and [producer] Andy [Wilman], obviously – we will start laughing and we won’t stop laughing for two weeks.”

The Grand Tour will return later this year with a second special episode. You can read more about this coming episode by clicking here. 

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