The Hypocritical BBC Pay Up Top Gear Presenters

[Teddy Bear]

Reading the following story I'm struck by a few things that are so wrong about the BBC.
In the first place I can't stand Jeremy Clarkson. While it is not generally known how much he is paid by the BBC to present Top Gear, it is reckoned to make him one of their most highly paid presenters, so if it's anything like Jonathan Ross it could be £6 milllion a year. The fact that this overgrown 'kid' should be paid so much out of the licence fee to show, and often destroy highly expensive and gas guzzling vehicles as part of his childish stunts is extremely galling.

But if this wasn't bad enough, how does the 'GREEN' BBC justify producing shows of this nature while harping on about global warming. It simply shows the kind of hypocritical lowlifes they truly are, and will sacrifice any and every value to suit their own purposes, even ones they purport to follow.

Top Gear presenters Richard Hammond and James May sign last minute deals
The future of Top Gear, the BBC's popular motoring programme, seems secure after presenters Richard Hammond and James May agreed last minute deals.

By Richard Alleyne
Last Updated: 7:28PM BST 01 Aug 2008

The stars' contracts ran out earlier this week but they have verbally confirmed they will re-sign as co-hosts on the BBC2 hit show, it is said.

It is thought the pair have been offered another two-year deal, but it is not yet known how much they will receive.

Sources said Hammond has received his new contract but had not yet signed it.

One insider close to the negotiations added: "May is due to sign his when he returns from some filming at the end of August."

It had been claimed that there had been "a meltdown'' in negotiations and that the pair "turned down flat'' a first offer from the BBC.

They were said to be arguing that they deserve a pay package similar to that enjoyed by Jeremy Clarkson, their co-presenter.

Clarkson is thought to have struck a multi-million pound deal last month with BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the corporation, which on top of his wages would give him a stake in the profits made from exploiting the Top Gear brand in the UK and abroad.

His new salary is said to put him among the highest-paid presenters at the BBC, alongside Jonathan Ross, who reputedly earns £18 million over three years, and Graham Norton, who is thought to take home £5 million over two years.

The show is a success abroad, with broadcasters in the US - where the NBC network signed a deal in March to take the format - and Australia making their own versions.

[Teddy Bear]

Just in case any proof were necessary, here's an example included in a Telegraph Comment piece today about why Clarkson is such a foul crass idiot, and instead of being paid out of licence fee money, should be earning just enough to force him to travel by public transport.

Jeremy Clarkson, the presenter of Top Gear, wrote last week of his experiences driving the new Rolls-Royce coupé around town: "It's been a genuinely alarming insight into the bitterness of Britain's obese and stupid underclass."

When he drove past a bus queue, he said, he realised that "hate is something you can touch and see and smell."

The "obese and stupid" people at the bus stop hadn't done anything specific, it seemed: presumably they had simply failed to light up with sufficient admiration as Clarkson coasted by in his swanky car.

Still, you don't have to be Karl Marx to reflect that if you were waiting for a bus while fretting about the rising cost of heating the family home, the sudden appearance of Clarkson in a £296,500 vehicle might not fill the heart with unalloyed joy.

[Teddy Bear]

The next time you see or hear the BBC harping on 'how green' they think we (the rest of society) should be, just reflect on the following story. No doubt they can justify the absolute antithesis of green when it concerns their interests, but it's a case of 'don't do as we do, do as we say'.

Jeremy Clarkson launches Top Gear world tour
Top Gear presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May thundered across London's Tower Bridge in a tank to launch their new £20 million world tour.



Top Gear goes Live - Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May drive a tank over Tower Bridge, followed by supercars Photo: PAUL GROVER

Fans of the hit BBC2 programme will be able to watch the hosts take on crazy challenges and preside over breathtaking stunts during each 75-minute live show Photo: PAUL GROVER
Flanked by supercars, the trio made their way across the bridge to mark the start of the tour, which will we see them visit 10 cities, including Johannesburg, Sydney, Auckland and Hong Kong, over the next 12 months.

The live shows, which will begin at Earl's Court in London on October 30, have been billed as a must-see event, incorporating "the drama of film and theatre with the thrills and spills of stunts and special effects".

Fans of the hit BBC2 programme will be able to watch the hosts take on crazy challenges and preside over breathtaking stunts during each 75-minute live show.

Clarkson, who is said to have struck a multi-million deal with BBC Worldwide to market the show abroad, said the idea for a live tour was born last year when the presenters were performing in South Africa.

"There was a huge demand from all over the world for us to go and perform," he said. "This is an opportunity to come and watch us three cocking about," he said.

Hammond, who suffered a brain injury and nearly died when he crashed a jet-powered car at 300mph in 2006, said he wanted to "push the boundaries of cocking about in the show".

"I've had a brilliant idea. It must be possible for us to build a hovercraft," he said. "We will also be playing football on the grandest scale, with cars."