The Unpredictable Journey of Jeremy Clarkson: A Conversation with a Legendary TV Personality

I recall my first car show, Motorworld, which was shown on Granada Television in Manchester. I had just landed my first big job as a presenter and was thrilled to be working with a reputable company like Granada. The show was a huge success, but unfortunately, it only lasted for a few years due to financial constraints. As fate would have it, the opportunity to present Top Gear arose, which catapulted me to international fame.

I must say that I'm still in awe of how quickly Top Gear became the biggest car show in the world. It's surreal to think about how we, three guys with a passion for cars, simply wanted to make the best car show possible. We didn't set out to create a global phenomenon; it just happened organically. Our focus remained on sharing our love for cars and making TV that was engaging and entertaining.

In my experience, there's no substitute for authenticity and staying true to one's passion. When we were approached by the BBC to present Top Gear, we saw this as an opportunity to create a show that was different from what existed at the time. We didn't try to fit into any particular mold or cater to specific demographics; we just wanted to make a great car show.

One of my most memorable experiences on Top Gear was when our family stopped at Heathrow Airport while traveling. My eldest daughter, who must have been around seven years old at the time, walked up to another child and started chatting with them about something that clearly had nothing to do with cars. The other mother asked if he was Robert Downey Jr., and my daughter sheepishly replied that no, her father was actually Jeremy Clarkson, the presenter of Top Gear. The boy must have been disappointed, but I tried to make up for it by signing an autograph and taking a picture.

As a child, I was always fascinated by architecture and dreamed of becoming an architect. I attended university at the age of 22 as a mature student, looking forward to embarking on a seven-year course that would lead me to a career in one of my dreams. However, after just one year, I realized that I couldn't afford it due to my accumulated debt from motorcycles and cars. I was heartbroken but moved on, taking up the bass guitar as a hobby instead.

Years later, when I reflect on my life, I realize how fortunate I am to have had so many amazing experiences in my career. As a TV presenter, I've been fortunate enough to travel the world, review cars, and interview fascinating people. While Top Gear was an incredible journey, I'm grateful for the opportunities that have allowed me to explore other passions, such as writing.

One of those passions is drawing. Although it's not something I've had time for in recent years, I still draw or sketch occasionally when traveling. It's a way for me to unwind and capture moments from my adventures. Recently, I picked up a book on learning how to draw caricatures, which has sparked a new interest within me.

Looking back on my life, I'm reminded of the importance of following your passions and not giving up on your dreams, no matter how impossible they may seem. Who knows what could have been if I had pursued architecture as my career? Perhaps I would be an architect today, designing buildings that inspire people around the world. Instead, I've had the privilege of building a reputation as a TV presenter who loves cars and is passionate about sharing that with others.

As for seeing Jeremy Clarkson again, it's been a while since I've visited him at his studio. His latest projects have been quite entertaining, but I haven't had the chance to check them out recently. The picture in my head of what he looks like has become quite vivid over the years, and I'm grateful for the memories we've shared as colleagues and friends.

Throughout this conversation, it's clear that Jeremy Clarkson is a man who wears his heart on his sleeve. He's passionate about cars, television, and life in general. Whether you're a fan of Top Gear or just appreciate great storytelling, there's no denying that Jeremy has left an indelible mark on the world of entertainment.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enthe Sun bet six came up up to say hello enough was already to sign an autograph of a picture taken and he said a you Iron Man and I had to say no mate I'm really sorry I'm not I met Jeremy and Richard Porter and Andy Wilman and I had to do like a piece with Jeremy and a piece to camera about a car and I went home quite sad because I thought that shows gonna be amazing they're gonna have an incredible time and I won't be part of it because I'm not going to get the job and then months went by and then the phone rang and we were in our little basement office in a little house in Cheltenham Mindy was with me my wife and I said that's there and I answered and it was and they said would you like to join us so I burst into tears and open a bottle of champagne that's that's the honest truth I had put together a little demo reel on my company car which was a Renault Laguna it's really and then when I went for the audition I had to do a piece on the Skoda Superb had a little walk-around piece talking about the car and then I'd sit with Jeremy and we did like a version of what became the news on the show eventually to check if there was any band and I did I'm gonna leave object I mean I'd seen him on the TV a million times obviously grown up watching him because he's much older than me and got on fabulously and thought I just came away thinking wow those people making that show Richard Porter who was on it and from beginning to to the end for us I just thought they're gonna have an incredible time and I felt quite sad because I assumed I wouldn't be part of it but then I've been told since by Willman and Jeremy that I only got the job because as I was leaving I said right that's it thanks Ben amazing great to meet you all thank you two things one I turned up in a completely crap 1982 Porsche 911 SC left handed with a duck tail on it and it was it was oh really useless old cub I adored it that helped and then as I was leaving I said right well I'm gonna get back to the NAM Cheltenham and that's what got me to Java panic not my sparkling personality wit experience knowledge skill tradecraft none of that just that one little joke just goes to show something if I hadn't got the top gear job well 20 years ago um to be honest I was working quite a lot with ITV he either carried on doing my car shows with Granada many motors for as long as that lasted I was doing a small regional car show on ITV so I would have stuck with it but you know I'd air whatever I'd done would have grown to be something with the scale and reach of Top Gear globally and I don't think any of us expected that it was a surprise at the Lightfoot one but it surprised we didn't set out and sit down and say right let's make the biggest show in the world we just said let's make the best car show we can that's all any of us ever did and I think that helped it because I think we stuck to the subject our passion is for cars and for making TV about them and that's all we wanted to do we didn't think cynically oh if we skew it this way if we make it that way it'll work in North America or South Africa we just made the best show we could and I think by being honest by sticking to what we believed in and what we thought was great I think that helped it regarding the Robert Danny Jeannie Al Pacino thing up China is like any seventies easily I don't have you been watching hunted on Amazon fully enough you'll see it it doesn't really advantage me and he need to look like anybody else but yeah I'm it does happen we were stopped to Heathrow Airport traveling with my family and and my my eldest daughter sitting in the lounge was walking off to go to the Lewis Armour and she passed this family and the mother said oh is he Robert Downey jr. and she said no and she said are you sure yeah definitely no no you really he's my dad I didn't I'd noticed that they wouldn't have it he was quite disappointed because that the boy care that son but six came up up to say hello enough was already to sign an autograph of a picture taken and he said at you Iron Man and I had to say no Mae I'm really sorry I'm not and I couldn't really say but on that guy off that car show you've probably never seen because you're only seven and aren't interests it's so I just yeah disappointed him it's like a lot of my school reports a disappointment if I could have somebody else's career it would be a really big architects there any of them it was it was a career I really wanted to do I got into university to do it as a mature student at the age of about 22 I've been thrown out of sixth form for being idiot went to art college went straight into radio which is irrelevant and after you had always wanted to be an architect I got into Canterbury to read architecture but I sat outside and thought it's a seven year course I'm already hideous ly in debt for motorcycles and cars I can't afford it so I didn't do it but I would have by now a job of social standing significance and dignity instead of whatever I am now so that architect I still play the bass guitar it's not a very good engine to play on your own you kind of need to be in a band than I was in bands for years and years and years but I don't have time there so like a lot of middle aged men there are some guitars in a room and occasionally I pot apartment pick one up and avid it will go but not to any great effect I'm not as good as my college past is always there hovering and I know it's there in my future I will given time learn to this is really naff but I'd love to learn to paint watercolors I fought against it as a kid because it's all technique and you really can learn to do that I'd like work in acrylics or oils really difficult a new stuff whereas I think just to paint watercolors purely for the satisfaction of it nobody needs to see I still draw or sketch occasionally I will always pack a sketch pad with me when I'm travelling and probably one time I have a million take it out my bag and find time to use it but no often I also got a book recently I know I want to learn how to draw caricatures that's something I'd be interested in though so maybe I have been to Clarkson's from anybody sort of first got it I haven't been for a while not since he's been working there I have a picture in my head and it's not desperately organized but now I haven't been to see it for some time if you enjoyed this then why wouldn't you like comment and/or subscribethe Sun bet six came up up to say hello enough was already to sign an autograph of a picture taken and he said a you Iron Man and I had to say no mate I'm really sorry I'm not I met Jeremy and Richard Porter and Andy Wilman and I had to do like a piece with Jeremy and a piece to camera about a car and I went home quite sad because I thought that shows gonna be amazing they're gonna have an incredible time and I won't be part of it because I'm not going to get the job and then months went by and then the phone rang and we were in our little basement office in a little house in Cheltenham Mindy was with me my wife and I said that's there and I answered and it was and they said would you like to join us so I burst into tears and open a bottle of champagne that's that's the honest truth I had put together a little demo reel on my company car which was a Renault Laguna it's really and then when I went for the audition I had to do a piece on the Skoda Superb had a little walk-around piece talking about the car and then I'd sit with Jeremy and we did like a version of what became the news on the show eventually to check if there was any band and I did I'm gonna leave object I mean I'd seen him on the TV a million times obviously grown up watching him because he's much older than me and got on fabulously and thought I just came away thinking wow those people making that show Richard Porter who was on it and from beginning to to the end for us I just thought they're gonna have an incredible time and I felt quite sad because I assumed I wouldn't be part of it but then I've been told since by Willman and Jeremy that I only got the job because as I was leaving I said right that's it thanks Ben amazing great to meet you all thank you two things one I turned up in a completely crap 1982 Porsche 911 SC left handed with a duck tail on it and it was it was oh really useless old cub I adored it that helped and then as I was leaving I said right well I'm gonna get back to the NAM Cheltenham and that's what got me to Java panic not my sparkling personality wit experience knowledge skill tradecraft none of that just that one little joke just goes to show something if I hadn't got the top gear job well 20 years ago um to be honest I was working quite a lot with ITV he either carried on doing my car shows with Granada many motors for as long as that lasted I was doing a small regional car show on ITV so I would have stuck with it but you know I'd air whatever I'd done would have grown to be something with the scale and reach of Top Gear globally and I don't think any of us expected that it was a surprise at the Lightfoot one but it surprised we didn't set out and sit down and say right let's make the biggest show in the world we just said let's make the best car show we can that's all any of us ever did and I think that helped it because I think we stuck to the subject our passion is for cars and for making TV about them and that's all we wanted to do we didn't think cynically oh if we skew it this way if we make it that way it'll work in North America or South Africa we just made the best show we could and I think by being honest by sticking to what we believed in and what we thought was great I think that helped it regarding the Robert Danny Jeannie Al Pacino thing up China is like any seventies easily I don't have you been watching hunted on Amazon fully enough you'll see it it doesn't really advantage me and he need to look like anybody else but yeah I'm it does happen we were stopped to Heathrow Airport traveling with my family and and my my eldest daughter sitting in the lounge was walking off to go to the Lewis Armour and she passed this family and the mother said oh is he Robert Downey jr. and she said no and she said are you sure yeah definitely no no you really he's my dad I didn't I'd noticed that they wouldn't have it he was quite disappointed because that the boy care that son but six came up up to say hello enough was already to sign an autograph of a picture taken and he said at you Iron Man and I had to say no Mae I'm really sorry I'm not and I couldn't really say but on that guy off that car show you've probably never seen because you're only seven and aren't interests it's so I just yeah disappointed him it's like a lot of my school reports a disappointment if I could have somebody else's career it would be a really big architects there any of them it was it was a career I really wanted to do I got into university to do it as a mature student at the age of about 22 I've been thrown out of sixth form for being idiot went to art college went straight into radio which is irrelevant and after you had always wanted to be an architect I got into Canterbury to read architecture but I sat outside and thought it's a seven year course I'm already hideous ly in debt for motorcycles and cars I can't afford it so I didn't do it but I would have by now a job of social standing significance and dignity instead of whatever I am now so that architect I still play the bass guitar it's not a very good engine to play on your own you kind of need to be in a band than I was in bands for years and years and years but I don't have time there so like a lot of middle aged men there are some guitars in a room and occasionally I pot apartment pick one up and avid it will go but not to any great effect I'm not as good as my college past is always there hovering and I know it's there in my future I will given time learn to this is really naff but I'd love to learn to paint watercolors I fought against it as a kid because it's all technique and you really can learn to do that I'd like work in acrylics or oils really difficult a new stuff whereas I think just to paint watercolors purely for the satisfaction of it nobody needs to see I still draw or sketch occasionally I will always pack a sketch pad with me when I'm travelling and probably one time I have a million take it out my bag and find time to use it but no often I also got a book recently I know I want to learn how to draw caricatures that's something I'd be interested in though so maybe I have been to Clarkson's from anybody sort of first got it I haven't been for a while not since he's been working there I have a picture in my head and it's not desperately organized but now I haven't been to see it for some time if you enjoyed this then why wouldn't you like comment and/or subscribe\n"