A BBC executive reportedly told Top Gear producers to replace one of their hosts because their line-up was ‘too middle-aged and white’.
After first airing in 2002, the British motoring show went on to become the world’s most-watched factual TV program.
Reaching an estimated 350 million viewers worldwide at its peak, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May were at the helm of one of the BBC’s most commercially successful programs.
However, according to a new book by the show’s co-creator and series producer Andy Wilman, bosses at the BBC didn’t like the idea of ‘three white middleish-aged males’ presenting.
In extracts obtained by The Sun, Andy said: ‘Even though the public were clear about their feelings for Richard, James and Jeremy, sometimes the BBC senior management appeared not to have got the memo.’
Discussing one moment in particular, the 63-year-old explained how he was summoned to a meeting where bosses told him they had ‘tremendous news’ that Top Gear was pulling in young black and Asian viewers.
The executive reportedly told him: ‘So, how about replacing one of your line-up with a young… black or Asian presenter.’
Andy replied: ‘So hang on, you’ve got young black and Asian viewers who have chosen, seemingly quite happily, to watch three white, middle-class, middle-aged men doing what they do, and in response to that, we should now break that team up — the one they enjoy watching — and give them something they’re most likely not asking for?
‘Isn’t that sort of patronising to… young black and Asian viewers?’
He continued: ‘I knew this was checkmate. I’d managed to get patronising and ethnic diversity into the same sentence.’
After being contacted by Metro, a BBC spokesperson declined to comment.
Andy, who had been friends with Jeremy since their school days in Derbyshire, said they had come up with the idea for their Star In A Reasonably Priced Car feature but did not have any co-presenters for Jeremy.
He revealed how James was initially rejected and Richard fluffed his audition.
But after Richard left the producers and Jeremy in tears of laughter after an off-the-cuff rant and James was called back because he provided good balance on the show, the three hosts were set.
Following 13 years of great success on the show, the trio eventually left after Jeremy’s verbal and physical alteration with a producer in March 2015.
Soon after their exit, the presenting trio were reunited with Amazon’s The Grand Tour, which lasted from 2016 until 2024.
Now, Jeremy has his hands full on Clarkson’s Farm, which recently won the National Television Award (NTA) for Factual Entertainment Programme at the 2025 awards ceremony.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.