Ex-Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson. Biography

English TV presenter, journalist and writer Jeremy Clarkson is known to millions of viewers around the world as the host of the iconic car shows Top Gear and The Grand Tour. Outrageous, straightforward and infinitely charismatic, he turned reporting on cars into a real art, and his scandalous departure from the BBC and his subsequent return to the screens became a separate chapter in the history of television. About his life and creative path — in the material of Izvestia.

Early years and education

Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson was born on April 11, 1960 in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, the son of Shirley Gabrielle Ward, a teacher, and Edward Clarkson, a traveling salesman. He has a younger sister, Joanna. My parents initially tried to run a tea business, but they failed. However, Jeremy's mother started sewing stuffed animals, which suddenly became popular, and the Paddington family teddy bear business was a success, allowing the children to be sent to private schools.

In his youth, Clarkson participated in the BBC Radio program Children's Hour, but his radio career ended when his voice began to break. He also worked part-time at the family toy store. Clarkson attended a prestigious boarding school in Derbyshire, from where he was expelled for smoking and drinking alcohol. After that, he decided not to go to university, but to start a career as a journalist.

Journalistic career

Clarkson began his career in journalism at the local Rotherham Advertiser newspaper. It was there that he established his passion for cars, choosing them as the main theme for his future works. In 1984, together with a friend, he founded the Motoring Press Agency, which was engaged in testing cars and preparing reviews for various publications. Clarkson's articles have appeared in Performance Car and Top Gear magazines, as well as in the well-known newspapers The Sun and The Sunday Times. Based on his columns, he has published several books that have become bestsellers.

Television: "Top Gear" and worldwide fame

Clarkson's television career began in 1988, when he became the host of the original Top Gear car show on the BBC. For 12 years, he remained the face of the program. When the old format of the show had exhausted itself, Clarkson proposed to producer Andy Wilman a new concept: three presenters instead of one, the introduction of the Stig racing driver character and the "stars in used cars" rubric. The revived Top Gear has become one of the most popular TV shows in the world, airing in over 100 countries. In 2005, the program won an Emmy Award. In addition to "Top Gear", Clarkson hosted his own talk show "Clarkson" (1998-2000), participated in the show Robot Wars and made many documentaries.

The scandalous departure from The BBC and The Grand Tour

In March 2015, Clarkson was suspended from filming Top Gear after a conflict with technical producer Oisin Tymon, which provoked the absence of a hot dinner for the crew after a long day at work. The incident caused a wide public outcry: more than 900 thousand people signed a petition in support of the presenter. However, on March 25, the BBC fired Clarkson. In solidarity with him, his co-hosts Richard Hammond and James May left the show. Together, they launched a new project for Amazon Prime Video, The Grand Tour, which has also gained huge popularity. In 2024, the trio starred in the final special edition of the show.

Clarkson Farm and other projects

In 2018, Clarkson became the host of the revived show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?". His latest major project was the documentary series Clarkson's Farm on Amazon Prime, where he talks humorously and self-ironically about his experience managing a farm in Oxfordshire. The series became a hit and was renewed for several seasons. In early 2024, Clarkson admitted that he was leaving The Grand Tour because he was "too old and fat" for the project, and decided to focus on "Clarkson's Farm."

Personal life and scandals

Clarkson was married twice. His first marriage to Alexandra James (1989-1990) lasted only a year — she left for his best friend. In 1993, he married his manager, Frances Kane. Three children were born in this marriage: daughter Emily (1994), son Finlo (1996) and daughter Katya (1998). In 2014, the couple divorced due to Clarkson's long-term infidelities. Since 2017, his companion has been Irish sculptor Lisa Hogan, who is 13 years younger than him.

Clarkson has repeatedly found himself at the center of scandals because of his outrageous statements. He has been criticized for sexism, misogyny, and discrimination against minorities. A particularly harsh reaction was caused by his comments about Meghan Markle in 2022, after which he was forced to make a public apology. Despite this, he remains one of the most striking and controversial figures on British television.

Fighting cancer

Clarkson revealed on June 17 that he was diagnosed with cancer in May last year. On the eve of the release of the final episodes, Clarkson posted a video on Instagram (owned by Meta Corporation, which is recognized as extremist and banned in the Russian Federation) in which he warned viewers that watching these episodes was "very difficult." According to Clarkson, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, but the disease was recognized at an early stage, and he will have to take a leave of absence during harvest for surgery. Next, the British man was shown in the hospital, where he reported that "some methods of treatment went wrong."