Rachel_Sandford
News Hound
It seems Jeremy Clarkson has been at it again. The host of the popular TV show, Top Gear, and one of the highest paid BBC stars, taking in £2.14million last year, once again finds himself in the hot seat.
The December 28 special of the popular car show featured Clarkson's trip to India. On the show, Clarkson was filmed without his trousers, alongside some offensive banners, and making offensive jokes as he drove around in a Jaguar fitted with a toilet seat on its boot; Clarkson is heard saying “This is perfect for India because everyone who comes here gets the trots.”
According to the High Commission of India, they received 188 complaints about the episode, saying it lacked cultural sensitivity. An Indian diplomat wrote to the BBC saying: “People are very upset because you cannot run down a whole society, history, culture and sensitivities. India is a developing country, we have very many issues to address, all that is fine but it is not fine to broadcast this toilet humour... There are many parts of the programme that people have complained about. It's not only Indians, it's also our British friends - it goes much beyond.”
Raja Sekhar, spokesperson from the High Commission of India explained that this was not the show they expected. When producers wrote to them, they described what would be a “light-hearted road trip,” with the key aspects being “beautiful scenery, busy city scenes, local charm and colour', emphasising India's 'local car culture.” Unfortunately, the show was, as the consulate describes, “in breach of this agreement.”
In a statement, Sekhar “conveyed his disappointment” and said: “We were very actively helping out facilitating the visit but they ran down the whole society, culture and people. It's really disgusting. We have a very close relationship with and respect for the BBC. The BBC is probably more admired in India than in England so we feel a bit let down.”
This isn't the first time Clarkson has gotten himself and the show in trouble. Top Gear's April 2011 road trip to Mexico also received plenty of complaints as Clarkson and his co-hosts insulted the Mexican people with their comments, saying they were “lazy, feckless, flatulent” and that they would get no complaints because the Mexican ambassador would be sleeping.
However, after Ambassador Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza complained and asked the BBC to apologize, Ofcom seemingly defended the show when they explained that it is known for its “outspoken humour.”
Even off camera, Clarkson is known to shoot his mouth off. In the past few months, he's been noted saying that workers who go on strike should be shot, the Morcambe Bay tragedy was like synchronized swimming, and that Kent is full of immigrants from a refugee camp.
BBC has admitted to receiving 23 complaints regarding Top Gear's special, but according to the High Commission of India, they are yet to receive a reply to their complaint, but a BBC spokesperson said they would respond “in due course.”
The December 28 special of the popular car show featured Clarkson's trip to India. On the show, Clarkson was filmed without his trousers, alongside some offensive banners, and making offensive jokes as he drove around in a Jaguar fitted with a toilet seat on its boot; Clarkson is heard saying “This is perfect for India because everyone who comes here gets the trots.”
According to the High Commission of India, they received 188 complaints about the episode, saying it lacked cultural sensitivity. An Indian diplomat wrote to the BBC saying: “People are very upset because you cannot run down a whole society, history, culture and sensitivities. India is a developing country, we have very many issues to address, all that is fine but it is not fine to broadcast this toilet humour... There are many parts of the programme that people have complained about. It's not only Indians, it's also our British friends - it goes much beyond.”
Raja Sekhar, spokesperson from the High Commission of India explained that this was not the show they expected. When producers wrote to them, they described what would be a “light-hearted road trip,” with the key aspects being “beautiful scenery, busy city scenes, local charm and colour', emphasising India's 'local car culture.” Unfortunately, the show was, as the consulate describes, “in breach of this agreement.”
In a statement, Sekhar “conveyed his disappointment” and said: “We were very actively helping out facilitating the visit but they ran down the whole society, culture and people. It's really disgusting. We have a very close relationship with and respect for the BBC. The BBC is probably more admired in India than in England so we feel a bit let down.”
This isn't the first time Clarkson has gotten himself and the show in trouble. Top Gear's April 2011 road trip to Mexico also received plenty of complaints as Clarkson and his co-hosts insulted the Mexican people with their comments, saying they were “lazy, feckless, flatulent” and that they would get no complaints because the Mexican ambassador would be sleeping.
However, after Ambassador Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza complained and asked the BBC to apologize, Ofcom seemingly defended the show when they explained that it is known for its “outspoken humour.”
Even off camera, Clarkson is known to shoot his mouth off. In the past few months, he's been noted saying that workers who go on strike should be shot, the Morcambe Bay tragedy was like synchronized swimming, and that Kent is full of immigrants from a refugee camp.
BBC has admitted to receiving 23 complaints regarding Top Gear's special, but according to the High Commission of India, they are yet to receive a reply to their complaint, but a BBC spokesperson said they would respond “in due course.”
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