Jeremy Clarkson's "The World According To Clarkson" is one of Penguin's "best books of its kind to be published in recent years"

Almost certainly considers himself a bigger fish than Cameron.

That's ridiculous, there is no job Cameron could give him that would pay him anywhere near the amount of money he'd be looking for. Even if he had any expertise that would be relevant to anything Cameron might care about, it's hard to imagine how making that association professional would benefit the PM in any way. Even among natural Tories who like Clarkson, Cameron would look grey and timid in the same way he does alongside Boris, and one Boris Johnson figure is enough.

True fact: at the age of 10, I was in a school performance of The Wind In The Willows with Clarkson. I played Mole to his Toad. We did it semi-improvised. I wore a black polo-necked sweater. He was quite the am-drammer in those days. It's been downhill for us both ever since.

In a sense you were present at the birth of a legend - his entire life spent chasing that thrill.

Wow (xp)

like the sound of your beatnik mole, casting of clarkson almost too prophetic to be true

there's def some easy dirty money and the chance to get your quotes mangled beyond recognition by the Mail or whoever in that

pics or didn't happen

topgear.com, which is more closely tied to the magazine than the show, currently has an article about the Land Rover Discovery Sport in which Nigel Farage "and his ilk" are mocked for their xenophobia. Oh brave new world...

Officially sacked now.

Although <A href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/bbc/11494513/Jeremy-Clarkson-sacked-by-the-BBC-official.html";>the statements</a> involved are such fucking fawning bullshit: we didn't want to fire him, of course, last thing we would have wanted, hands are tied - a miracle no-one blames Elf and Safety gone mad.

Dean Burnett @garwboy 44m 44 minutes ago

I don't pay my license fee for the BBC to go around telling millionaires that they can't punch producers!

Additional to the Mole/Toad thing, we both auditioned for Radio 4's adaptation of the Jennings & Darbyshire books. Not only did Clarkson get the gig, but he also got to play the character with my actual real life surname. I loved those books. So jealous.

I thought the BBC statement was smartly done actually - it makes sure that the given reason is only the assault and not all the other factors that his fanboys absurdly claim were behind it.

Yes, as straight-forward as it gets, really.

lovin these Young Clarkson stories mike t-diva, best thing to come out of this.

Yes that BBC statement was good although it should have elaborated on the reasons for the assault (no hot food, whatever else it was)

If it's an unprovoked assault than the "reasons" behind it are irrelevant, it's an unprovoked assault and that's all you need to say. Everyone knows why Clarkson threw his toys out of the pram, the statement doesn't need to mention it.

Louise Mensch clearly after the gig:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/louise-mensch-weighs-in-on-jeremy-clarkson-fracas-saying-sacking-evidence-of-wimpy-british-culture-10133601.html

most wimpy thing about it is all these imbeciles throwing their teddies out of their prams cos their toy car programme got stopped

Well, presumably the producer involved has not lost his job, so my guess is that if Louise Mensch is after the gig, that's probably not the way towards it.

if there was a wimpy close to hand there wouldn't have been a problem amirite

"one bender in a bun for Jeremy please lol"

(PS Louise Mensch probably not really after the gig so much as trying to appeal to the kind of people petitioning to have Clarkson reinstated)

If it's an unprovoked assault than the "reasons" behind it are irrelevant, it's an unprovoked assault and that's all you need to say. Everyone knows why Clarkson threw his toys out of the pram, the statement doesn't need to mention it

They may be irrelevant but they are certainly interesting, which is a good enough reason to publish them in my view. Plus it helps to clarify what an utter bellend Clarkson is

This is the same Louise Mensch who throws her hands up in outrage whenever someone hurls an insult at her on Twitter?

That's the one, aye. Pandering to any perceived audience who she thinks will listen to her. Sorry for giving her more airtime.

prefers to sort things mano a mano iirc

From Mensch to Liddle to Brendan O'Niell, the amount of red herrings, strawman arguments and general fuckwitery emanating from the right-wing press in reaction to Clarkson's sacking is pretty astonishing.

How timely: tonight's Radio 4 Any Questions is being recorded in JC's old prep school in Doncaster (where we were classmates, and where a framed photo of JC in Jennings & Darbyshire still hangs): http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05n1lrs

My mother was relating to me with astonishment that JC is (only) 2 years older than me.

That is indeed an astonishing fact, I can see why you posted it.

i can't believe that mark g is 78!

I can

http://th07.deviantart.net/fs15/200H/f/2007/079/f/a/Jeremy_Clarkson_by_darkdreamfae.jpg

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-32331218

oh the irony in his tweet.

Has to be done... well, doesn't have to be but it's gonna be:

Jeremy Clarkson >>>>>> Sue Perkins

challop gear

You are joking, I hope?

it's a pun, not a joke

Bakeoff>>>>>>>>Top Gear

sue perkins is a goddess

You've lost it, darragh

I'd prefer Sue Cook, as a cheeky reference to Clarkson's Partridge.

Yeah Tom D has possibly been in the unseasonable sun a bit too much.

Not at all! I have actually watched an episode of "Heading Out" from start to finish.

How does it compare to the Clarkson-written sitcom?

dunno how anyone can muster an opinion about sue perkins one way or the other...

raw sex appeal can't be rationalised