Rachel_Sandford
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In his weekly column in the Sunday Times, Jeremy Clarkson, host of Top Gear, wrote that he would rather quit his job than move to Salford, stating he would “resign in a heartbeat” if BBC decides to make Top Gear at MediaCityUK, located in Salford Quays.
Clarkson described Salford as “a small suburb with a Starbucks and a canal with ducks,” adding that “It is nowhere near any court that matters and nowhere near a single politician. Furthermore, if we ran the show from Salford, we'd be employing people from Salford. People who were born there and thought 'Yes, I like this. I see no reason to go anywhere else,' and in the world of television that could be a genuine handicap.” Clarkson continued to say “Every year, we'd end up making a Christmas special from the Dog and Duck or the nearest Arndale Centre.”
John Merry, Salford Council's Labour leader said in response to Clarkson's column: “I think the comments are rather silly and borne out of ignorance as I believe he hasn't been to Salford. It is offensive and arrogant as we all pay our license fees and presumably he thinks he has every right to the huge salary that Salford people contribute towards, and yet he shows them this contempt.” Merry told the Manchester Evening news that what was said “make Clarkson look like a slightly more sophisticated version of Alf Garnett.”
Though the promise to resign seems harsh, Clarkson is not alone. BBC Breakfast hosts Chris Hollins and Sian Williams have both said that they would not move to MediaCityUK either. Clarkson describes BBC's move as “the stupidest media decision since someone said 'hey guys, I can listen to Prince William's voicemails'.”
The BBC has already moved five departments from London to Salford, but so far they have no plans of moving Top Gear.
Clarkson described Salford as “a small suburb with a Starbucks and a canal with ducks,” adding that “It is nowhere near any court that matters and nowhere near a single politician. Furthermore, if we ran the show from Salford, we'd be employing people from Salford. People who were born there and thought 'Yes, I like this. I see no reason to go anywhere else,' and in the world of television that could be a genuine handicap.” Clarkson continued to say “Every year, we'd end up making a Christmas special from the Dog and Duck or the nearest Arndale Centre.”
John Merry, Salford Council's Labour leader said in response to Clarkson's column: “I think the comments are rather silly and borne out of ignorance as I believe he hasn't been to Salford. It is offensive and arrogant as we all pay our license fees and presumably he thinks he has every right to the huge salary that Salford people contribute towards, and yet he shows them this contempt.” Merry told the Manchester Evening news that what was said “make Clarkson look like a slightly more sophisticated version of Alf Garnett.”
Though the promise to resign seems harsh, Clarkson is not alone. BBC Breakfast hosts Chris Hollins and Sian Williams have both said that they would not move to MediaCityUK either. Clarkson describes BBC's move as “the stupidest media decision since someone said 'hey guys, I can listen to Prince William's voicemails'.”
The BBC has already moved five departments from London to Salford, but so far they have no plans of moving Top Gear.