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IT SEEMS IT’S all for one and one for all for as Richard Hammond confirms won’t be returning to Top Gear without his fellow presenters.
Yesterday, James May said doing the Top Gear without Jeremy Clarkson would be a “non-starter” and officially called his time on the BBC show.
It seems it’s prompted the other third of the presenting trio to declare that he is also out.
Richard Hammond / TwitterTo be clear amidst all this talk of us 'quitting' or not: there's nothing for me to 'quit'. Not about to quit my mates anyway.
— Richard Hammond (@RichardHammond) April 24, 2015
The departure of May and Hammond comes within days of Top Gear’s executive producer Andy Wilman also leaving and will further fuel speculation that the men are preparing for a new project together away from the BBC.
The Guardian quotes a source close to Hammond as saying that: “The fact of the matter is Richard’s contract has expired, and he’s very much part of the discussions with the others as to what’s next for the three of them.”
The source goes on to say that Hammond has not ruled out working with the BBC on other projects, something May was also at pains to point out yesterday.
James May / TwitterI have not quit the BBC, just so you know.
— James May (@MrJamesMay) April 23, 2015
It also means that if the BBC are to continue with Top Gear, something they remain committed on doing, then a whole new presenting team will have to be found.
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Top Car! Coming to ITV soon
Motor Mouth..much more suitable
Keep walking lads.
Fair play lads, its a very rare thing in all professions in today’s dog eat dog rat race, commoradrie I think our ancestors called it
How can you have a dog eat dog rat race?
You would’ve thought the dog rats would be able for the dogs, just goes to show.
@jack dunne. Yeah totally.sticking together to make millions more on another network.such great pals.
That must be the most stupid thing I’ve ever read jack!!
‘commoradrie I think our ancestors called it’
that was before they learnt how to spell i presume.
It will be on Sky and it will de called “Sixth”.
Guy Martin and two more blokes and say goodbye to three big headed hasbeeners !
Guy Martin, Sabine Schmidt and not Tiff Needell. How about Chris Harris?
@little Steve it’s dog eat dog in this rat race. And it leaves you bleeding lying flat on your face. Reaching out, reaching out for a helping hand. Where is that helping hand?
Now they can do a show where they blow stuff up and pretend it’s about cars for another channel.
They never denied the show wasn’t about cars, they mentioned the fact it wasn’t plenty of times, nevertheless it was the biggest factual show on TV and made the BBC millions in commercial and TV selling rights,
Only losers it the whole situation are the BBC and the public who’s TV licence fee will increase to make up the short fall in revenue
Not a Clarkson fan by any means but an interesting point was raised on The Last Leg last night. How come he wasn’t sancioned for thumping Piers Morgan in ’04 ?
Because everyone wants to punch Piers Morgan.
I can see why they’d give him a pass on that tbf.
Exactly John, in fact piers morgan should thumped at every given oppurtunity
Because John, that was an act of charity.
Actually I just bought that incident to engage in a little Piers Morgan bashing by proxy.He got some rollicking last night.Well deserved though.
Because he is a Grade a Chunt
and the comment of the week goes to….John Collins.
Fair play to the bbc on taking a stand against mob rule
The BBC have been played like a fiddle. A few years ago they purchased the Top Gear brand off Clarkson for 30 million and gave him and the boys bumper contracts. Now without the 3 amigos the brand is basically worthless and they’re set to sign probably their biggest deal ever with Netflix.
The BBC just killed their biggest money maker.
Phew. For a second there I was worried common people wouldn’t have an outlet to watch 3 toffs drive cars around.
Toffs? You must be a cockney child chimney sweep?!!!
Walking away? His contract was up. To the rest of us it’s called being let go.
Well, no. James and Richard were offered renewed contracts for Top Gear but declined them. Further more all 3 were ‘self employed’ and contracted themselves out to BBC for Top Gear. This allowed them to do other shows on different channels etc.
Fair play to them but I’d imagine all 3 will get a handsome pay packet to reunite elsewhere.
Quite looking forward to that. Call it Turbo Boost!
There is a chance that the next show they star in will not be a success. Wonder after that happens will they be glad they didn’t “quit their mate”..
Rumour is the new show will be called top speed, and with the main producer leaving the BBC with them it’s a good sign the new show will be just as good if not better
James May is doing well on his new YouTube channel, all he is doing is cooking and drinking wine and its very popular.
Yes Aaron, maybe James might be able to afford a haircut now. There is something so uncool about a 52 year old man with long grey hair. Hammond (who’s a few years younger and not grey yet) can carry off the look but not May.
There’s talk of them doing the show with netflix,
Great. Now it might go back to being a show about cars, not a jolly up for 3 middle aged arses being filmed in ‘hilarious’ contrived claptrap.
What about the stig?
The BBC have © on the Stig.
Not happy at your job? Get yourself fired and watch the other channels swoop in!
He was never fired,for starters he was self employed and hired himself to the BBC, he’s contract is up and won’t be renewed.
Can we just remember that Clarkson used violence, threats and intimidation against a junior member of staff. The BBC didn’t “blow it” as many are suggesting. They had to reprimand a man-child for the latest in a long line of unacceptable behaviour that was only getting worse. If they kept him on, they would have been – rightly – criticised for failing to protect their employees from violence in the workplace.
Quit his mates my arse,
He’s goin where the money is.
They can call it what they like on the next channel. The bottom line is the bbc have lost out big time.
#NetGearx… Season One coming to Netflix soon
Paddy bashers!
Some good news.
Hammond not about to ‘quit’ his mates? By instead quitting any sense of moral and ethical judgement of his arrogant mate’s actions?
Netflicks contract of $20,000,000 per man…..feck the BBC
Yeah, I like to make up ridiculous numbers too.
have your say