1. From a career as a local journalist in northern England, Jeremy Clarkson rose to public prominence as a presenter of the original format of Top Gear in 1988.
104 Facts About Jeremy Clarkson
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Jeremy Clarkson has a significant public following, being credited as a major factor in the resurgence of Top Gear as one of the most popular shows on the BBC.
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Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson was born on 11 April 1960 in Sprotbrough, then part of West Riding of Yorkshire.
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Jeremy Clarkson is the son of Shirley Gabrielle Clarkson, a teacher, and Edward Grenville Clarkson, a travelling salesman.
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The income from this success enabled the Clarksons to be able to pay the fees for Jeremy to attend Hill House School, Doncaster, and later Repton School.
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Jeremy Clarkson has stated he was deeply unhappy at Repton School, saying that he had been a "suicidal wreck" there, having experienced extreme bullying.
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Jeremy Clarkson famously left with one C and two U grades at A level.
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Jeremy Clarkson attended Repton alongside future Formula One engineer Adrian Newey and former Top Gear Executive Producer Andy Wilman.
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Jeremy Clarkson played the role of a preparatory school pupil, Atkinson, in a BBC radio Children's Hour serial adaptation of Anthony Buckeridge's Jennings novels until his voice broke.
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Jeremy Clarkson later trained as a journalist with the Rotherham Advertiser, before writing for the Rochdale Observer, Wolverhampton Express and Star, Lincolnshire Life, Shropshire Star and the Associated Kent Newspapers.
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In 1984, Jeremy Clarkson formed the Motoring Press Agency, in which, with fellow motoring journalist Jonathan Gill, he conducted road tests for local newspapers and automotive magazines.
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Jeremy Clarkson has regularly written for Top Gear magazine since its launch in 1993.
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In 1987, Jeremy Clarkson wrote for Amstrad Computer User and compiled Amstrad CPC game reviews.
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Jeremy Clarkson writes regular columns in the tabloid newspaper The Sun, and for the broadsheet newspaper The Sunday Times.
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Jeremy Clarkson writes for the "Wheels" section of the Toronto Star.
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Jeremy Clarkson has written humorous books about cars and several other subjects, with many of his books being collections of articles that he has written for The Sunday Times.
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Jeremy Clarkson got the job after a screen test in which he spent 20 minutes ranting about the awfulness of the Citroen 2CV.
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Jeremy Clarkson was opinionated and irreverent, rather than respectfully po-faced.
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Jeremy Clarkson then presented the show's new format from 20 October 2002, to 8 March 2015.
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Jeremy Clarkson presented the first series of the UK version of Robot Wars.
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Jeremy Clarkson's talk show, Clarkson, comprised 27 half-hour episodes aired in the United Kingdom between November 1998 and December 2000, and featured guest interviews with musicians, politicians and television personalities.
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Jeremy Clarkson went on to present documentaries focused on non-motoring themes such as history and engineering, although the motoring shows and videos continued.
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In 1997, Jeremy Clarkson appeared on the light-hearted comedy show Room 101, in which a guest nominates things they hate in life to be consigned to nothingness.
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Jeremy Clarkson dispatched caravans, houseflies, the sitcom Last of the Summer Wine, the mentality within golf clubs, and vegetarians.
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Jeremy Clarkson has made several appearances on the prime time talk shows Parkinson and Friday Night with Jonathan Ross since 2002.
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Since the topical news panel show Have I Got News for You dismissed regular host Angus Deayton in October 2002, Jeremy Clarkson has become one of the most regularly used guest hosts on the show.
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Jeremy Clarkson has appeared as a panellist on the political current affairs television show Question Time twice since 2000.
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Jeremy Clarkson received a BAFTA nomination for Best Entertainment Performance in 2006.
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Jeremy Clarkson sustained minor injuries to his legs, back and hand in an intentional collision with a brick wall while making the 12th series of Top Gear in 2008.
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On 11 May 2016, Jeremy Clarkson confirmed on his Twitter feed that the series would be titled The Grand Tour, and air from a different location each week.
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Jeremy Clarkson often criticised the Labour governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, especially what he calls the "ban" culture, frequently fixating on the bans on smoking and 2004 ban on fox hunting.
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Jeremy Clarkson did not support Brexit, stating that while the European Union has its problems, Britain would not have any influence over the EU, should it leave the Union.
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Jeremy Clarkson envisions the European Union being turned into a US-like "United States of Europe", with one army, one currency, and one unifying set of values.
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Jeremy Clarkson's comments have both a large number of supporters and opponents.
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In 2007, Jeremy Clarkson was cleared of allegations of assaulting a young person while visiting central Milton Keynes, after Thames Valley Police said that if anything, he had been the victim.
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Jeremy Clarkson has often singled out John Prescott, the former Transport Minister, and Stephen Joseph, the head of the public transport pressure group Transport 2000, for ridicule.
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Jeremy Clarkson has been critical of the Special Relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom.
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Jeremy Clarkson referred to the US as the "United States of Total Paranoia", commenting that one needs a permit to do everything except for purchasing weapons.
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In 2017, in response to the United States officially recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Jeremy Clarkson advised Palestinians to recognise London as the capital of the United States.
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In 2020, Clarkson stated that he usually votes for the Conservative Party, claiming not to be a natural Tory but "it just happens to be that every time it comes around and you weigh up which is going to provide you with a better life, the better country to live in, then it's usually the Conservatives"; he mocked the policies of Tony Blair and Jeremy Corbyn, stating "only an idiot would vote for Corbyn".
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Jeremy Clarkson is a personal friend of former Prime Minister, Conservative leader and Foreign Secretary David Cameron.
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Ahead of the 2024 general election, Jeremy Clarkson reversed his previous view on Starmer and stated "I get, of course, that people are fed up with the Tories, but I'd rather vote for my dog than Sir Starmer's merry bunch of ideological nincompoops" and cited his opposition to Labour's stance on farming.
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Since 2024, Jeremy Clarkson has been extremely critical of Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the Labour Party.
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Jeremy Clarkson attended the England farmers' protests in London where he called tax hikes a "hammer blow to the back of the head" of British agriculture.
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Jeremy Clarkson said that, although he "hate[s] the movement, [he] loves the destination" of environmentalism and believes that people should quietly strive to be more eco-friendly.
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Jeremy Clarkson has been dismissive of windfarms and renewable energy and has spoken in support of hydrogen cars.
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Jeremy Clarkson rejects the scientific consensus on climate change, believing that anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions do not affect the global climate.
48.
Jeremy Clarkson is against climate activism, and has often made personal attacks against teenage activist Greta Thunberg, whom he has called "a spoilt brat".
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Jeremy Clarkson acknowledged whilst interviewing Alastair Campbell on Top Gear, saying "I don't believe what I write, any more than you [Campbell] believe what you say".
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Jeremy Clarkson has been described as a "skillful propagandist for the motoring lobby" by The Economist.
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In 2005, Jeremy Clarkson received an honorary Doctor of Engineering degree from Oxford Brookes University.
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Jeremy Clarkson took this incident in good humour, responding "good shot" and subsequently referring to Lush as "Banana girl".
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Jeremy Clarkson later commented he would be a rubbish Prime Minister as he is always contradicting himself in his columns.
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Jeremy Clarkson has a keen interest in the British Armed Forces.
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Several of his DVDs and television shows have featured a military theme, such as flying in military jets or several Jeremy Clarkson-focused Top Gear spots having a military theme such as Jeremy Clarkson escaping a Challenger 2 tank in a Range Rover, a Lotus Exige evading missile lock from an Apache attack helicopter, a platoon of Irish Guardsmen shooting at a Porsche Boxster and Mercedes-Benz SLK, or using a Ford Fiesta as a Royal Marine landing craft.
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In 2003, Jeremy Clarkson presented The Victoria Cross: For Valour, looking at recipients of the Victoria Cross, in particular focusing on his father-in-law, Robert Henry Cain, who received a VC for actions during the Battle of Arnhem in the Second World War.
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In 2007, Clarkson wrote and presented Jeremy Clarkson: Greatest Raid of All Time, a documentary about Operation Chariot in the Second World War, a 1942 Commando raid on the docks of Saint-Nazaire in occupied France.
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Jeremy Clarkson's effort led to the 2007 Christmas appeal in The Sunday Times supporting Help for Heroes.
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In Inventions That Changed the World Jeremy Clarkson showcased the invention of the gun, computer, jet engine, telephone and television.
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Jeremy Clarkson has previously criticised the engineering feats of the 20th century as merely improvements on the truly innovative inventions of the Industrial Revolution.
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Jeremy Clarkson cites the lack of any source of alternative power for cars, other than by "small explosions".
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In Great Britons, as part of a public poll to find the greatest historical Briton, Jeremy Clarkson was the chief supporter for Isambard Kingdom Brunel, a prominent engineer during the Industrial Revolution credited with numerous innovations.
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Jeremy Clarkson was awarded an honorary degree from Brunel University on 12 September 2003, partly because of his work in popularising engineering, and partly because of his advocacy of Brunel.
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Jeremy Clarkson cited the Concorde crash as his inspiration, feeling a sadness for the demise of the machine as well as the passengers.
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Jeremy Clarkson was a passenger on the last BA Concorde flight, on 24 October 2003.
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Jeremy Clarkson briefly acquired an English Electric Lightning F1A jet fighter XM172 former RAF Coltishall gate guard, which was installed in the front garden of his country home.
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Jeremy Clarkson wanted to purchase the Ford GT after admiring its inspiration, the Ford GT40 race cars of the 1960s.
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Jeremy Clarkson was able to secure a place on the shortlist for the few cars that would be imported to Britain to official customers, only through knowing Ford's head of PR through a previous job.
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Jeremy Clarkson called it "the most unreliable car ever made", because he was never able to complete a return journey with it.
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In 2006, Jeremy Clarkson ordered a Gallardo Spyder and sold the Ford GT to make way for it.
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Jeremy Clarkson has spoken highly of the Czech-made Skoda Yeti, calling it possibly the best car in the world, and used 20 minutes of a Top Gear episode putting the Yeti through a number of challenges to support his point.
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Jeremy Clarkson called the Brera, Alfa's latest sports car, "Cameron Diaz on wheels".
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Jeremy Clarkson has expressed fondness for late-model V8 Holdens, available in the UK rebadged as Vauxhalls.
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Jeremy Clarkson considers the Lexus LFA as the best car he has ever driven.
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Jeremy Clarkson said that had he not driven the Porsche 928 he "wouldn't have had the opportunity to say goodbye to [his] dad".
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Jeremy Clarkson has criticised Vauxhalls and has described Vauxhall's parent company, General Motors, as a "pensions and healthcare" company which sees the "car making side of the business as an expensive loss-making nuisance".
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Jeremy Clarkson has expressed particular disdain for the Vauxhall Vectra, describing it as:.
78.
In December 2006, the BBC complaints department upheld the complaint of four Top Gear viewers that Jeremy Clarkson had used the phrase "ginger beer" in a derogatory manner, when Jeremy Clarkson picked up on and agreed with an audience member's description of the Daihatsu Copen as being a bit "gay".
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In November 2008, Jeremy Clarkson attracted over 500 complaints to the BBC when he joked about lorry drivers murdering prostitutes.
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In July 2009, Jeremy Clarkson was reported to have called then British Prime Minister Gordon Brown "a silly cunt" during a warm-up while recording a Top Gear show.
81.
In July 2010, Jeremy Clarkson reportedly angered gay rights campaigners after he made a remark on Top Gear that did not get aired on 4 July episode.
82.
Jeremy Clarkson said: "I demand the right not to be bummed".
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Jeremy Clarkson apologised for his efforts not being "quite good enough" to ensure the footage was not used.
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Jeremy Clarkson is quoted as saying, "That is a proud moment, but there's a slope on it" as a native crosses the bridge, with "slope" being a pejorative for Asians.
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In October 2014, Jeremy Clarkson attracted controversy when filming the Top Gear: Patagonia Special after driving a Porsche 928 in Argentina with the registration number H982 FKL, allegedly referring to the 1982 Falklands War.
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Jeremy Clarkson allegedly referred to those working on the BMW stand as "Nazis", with BMW saying that they would not lodge a complaint and giving Jeremy Clarkson "the benefit of the doubt".
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In February 2009, while in Australia, Jeremy Clarkson made disparaging remarks aimed at the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, calling him a "one-eyed Scottish idiot", and accused him of lying.
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On 30 November 2011, while being interviewed on the BBC's The One Show, Jeremy Clarkson commented on the UK's public sector strike that day, lauding the capital's empty roads.
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Jeremy Clarkson was criticised by the mental health charity Mind for his 3 December 2011, column for The Sun, in which he described those who jump in front of trains as "Johnny Suicide" and argues that following a death, trains should carry on their journeys as soon as possible.
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Jeremy Clarkson often discusses high-speed driving on public roads, criticising road safety campaigns involving cameras and speed bumps.
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In March 2015, Jeremy Clarkson was suspended by the BBC from Top Gear following a "fracas" with one of the show's producers, Oisin Tymon.
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Tymon said that Jeremy Clarkson had called him a "lazy Irish cunt".
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Less than 24 hours after his dismissal, Jeremy Clarkson was approached by Zvezda, a Russian state broadcaster, to present a motoring programme.
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Jeremy Clarkson later said it was a reference to a scene from the television series Game of Thrones.
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Jeremy Clarkson had used the same reference in an article published in The Sun in December 2018 to defend Meghan:.
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Jeremy Clarkson married Alex Hall in 1989, but she left him for one of his friends after six months.
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Jeremy Clarkson has been described as a member of the Chipping Norton set.
98.
Jeremy Clarkson was involved in a protracted legal dispute about access to a "permissive path" across the grounds of his second home, a converted lighthouse, on the Isle of Man between 2005 and 2010, after reports that dogs had attacked and killed sheep on the property.
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Jeremy Clarkson lost the dispute after the Isle of Man government held a public inquiry, and he was told to re-open the footpath.
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Jeremy Clarkson is a fan of the progressive rock band Genesis and attended the band's reunion concert at Twickenham Stadium in 2007.
101.
Since 2017, Jeremy Clarkson has been in a relationship with Irish-born former actress and screenplay writer Lisa Hogan, who features in his Amazon Prime series Jeremy Clarkson's Farm.
102.
On 23 August 2024, Jeremy Clarkson opened a pub, The Farmer's Dog, formerly known as The Windmill, in Asthall, near Burford, in connection to his farming show Jeremy Clarkson's Farm.
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Jeremy Clarkson subsequently said he could "breathe out harder and for longer than a non-smoking 40-year-old" and had 96 per cent capacity for a person his age.
104.
On 19 October 2024, Jeremy Clarkson revealed via his column on The Sunday Times that he had a stent fitted at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford after experiencing a "sudden deterioration" in his health after returning from holiday in the Indian Ocean.