The British motoring-themed television programme Top Gear was often the focus of criticism. The criticism has ranged from minor viewer complaints to serious complaints where broadcasting watchdogs such as Ofcom have been involved.
Critics claim the programme shows disdain for the environment and promotes dangerous driving, whereas the BBC and show's presenters claim that "Top Gear takes issues of safety very seriously and none of our presenters advocate or encourage speeding or dangerous driving."
Criticism of the BBC One of the programme's presenters, Jeremy Clarkson, has been critical of the BBC regarding the handling of the programme. In the February 2006 issue of Top Gear Magazine, Clarkson revealed that he thought that the BBC did not take Top Gear seriously, making the length of the series far too long, and often replacing the show with live snooker coverage, despite Top Gear having considerably higher viewing figures.
In July 2006, the BBC rejected a variety of complaints regarding the criticism, claiming the producers and presenters choose the way they are covered, and that the BBC do not have any control over it. They argued that the presenters' provocative comments are "an integral part of the programme and are not intended to be taken seriously." Regarding offensive remarks traded between presenters and members of the audience, the BBC said "this is part of the appeal of the show, and we trust most viewers are familiar enough with the style and tone of the show not to take offence." The BBC pointed out that they would act if such statements and actions were carried out with any degree of seriousness or if the programme breached legal and safety requirements.
Ofcom received eleven complaints after an episode in series 22 was broadcast for allowing swearing pre-watershed.
After Andrew Flintoff's accident in 2022, Chris Harris appeared on a podcast with Joe Rogan. He said that he told the BBC three months prior that there would be a "serious injury" or "fatality" if the show's safety procedures were not improved. Paul Rees, who was The Stig at the time, sued BBC Studios, claiming that a lack of safety measures and instructing dangerous manouvres endangered both his and Flintoff's lives.
Although Top Gear is scripted, and this is acknowledged on the show, it sometimes receives criticism for some of its segments being scripted. Notable examples include the Hovervan segment, caravan holiday fire, and a caravan airship causing disruption at Norwich airport. A BBC spokesperson commented that Top Gear was an "entertainment show" and that "any suggestion it deliberately misled viewers is patently ludicrous."
Proposed studio move In 2006, Top Gear was in negotiations with the BBC to move to Enstone in north Oxfordshire which was closer to Clarkson's home in Chipping Norton. However, the producers were unable to negotiate a deal, after their initial application was blocked due to opposition by local residents, who feared that Top Gear would create pollution and noise issues.
Accusations of homophobia and sexism In December 2006, the BBC upheld complaints from four viewers after comments made by Jeremy Clarkson were considered to be homophobic references, had the potential to offend and should not have been broadcast. The complaints regarded comments made by Clarkson in the sixth episode of series eight, in which Clarkson agreed with an audience member who described the Daihatsu Copen as "a bit gay". He later described the vehicle as "ginger beer", taken to be rhyming slang for the term "queer". The BBC said there was "no editorial purpose" for the remarks and the "Top Gear team had been reminded of the importance of avoiding such comments about sexual orientation."
In December 2009, it was reported that a gay couple had been allegedly denied tickets to see the show being filmed. The context of the situation is unclear. A BBC spokesperson said, "We do not – absolutely do not – discriminate against same sex couples... the whole implication that Top Gear is in any way homophobic is completely wrong."
In a July 2011 review of the Jaguar XKR-S, Clarkson said that "in the corners it will get its tail out more readily than George Michael". Michael called Clarkson "pig-ugly" and "homophobic" in response to the remark.
Both the show and Clarkson have been accused of sexism and misogyny. James May later said that the show was just "painfully honest", and Richard Hammond also said that the show "wasn't laddish".
Cultural mockery
India During the show's India special, there were multiple gags such as building a toilet in the back of a Jaguar suggesting visiting tourists get diarrhoea. This led to a complaint by the Indian High Commission which criticised the show's "toilet humour".
Wales The show received backlash in 2002 when Clarkson suggested that everybody should test drive their cars in Wales because "no-one wants to live there" in the second episode of series one. The comments were the subject of a complaint to the BBC by Labour AM Alun Pugh.
Presenter James May would later claim that following this comment, and years of offending Welsh viewers the presenters had received "threats on our lives", adding that the Welsh "really took offence" and referencing the Mexico controversy by stating "It isn't the Mexicans we have to worry about—it is the Welsh". May criticised the response saying "People shouldn't take what we say seriously".
United States The show frequently mocks American culture. During the first American road trip, as part of a challenge, they painted slogans on their cars such as "NASCAR sucks", "Hillary for president" and "Man love rules OK" while driving through Alabama. This resulted in a heated altercation at a petrol station where the film crew were threatened to stop filming and rocks were thrown at the presenters' vehicles as they were driving away.
Malaysia Minister Abdul Raman Suliman criticised Clarkson for his commentary on the Perodua Kelisa, who said it was "made in a jungle clearing by someone who went to work on an ox", as well as more negative reception off the show.
Germany During the first episode of series seven, a news segment featuring BMW's Mini concept from the Tokyo Motor Show showcased a car that Hammond quoted as supposedly being "quintessentially British", the only added feature being an integrated tea set. Clarkson responded by mocking the car and saying that they should retaliate by building a car that was "quintessentially German". He suggested adding trafficators that displayed Nazi salutes, "a sat-nav that only goes to Poland", and "ein fanbelt that will last a thousand years!" These statements gained negative attention from the German government, and led to viewers' complaints reaching the BBC Board of Governors.
In July 2006, the BBC Governors' Programme Complaints Committee rejected the protests: "the Committee did not believe that, when looking at the audience as a whole, they would have felt that the comments were anything more than Jeremy Clarkson using outrageous behaviour to amuse his audience, and that the remarks would not have led to anyone entertaining new or different feelings or concerns about Germans or Germany".
Romania During the opening episode of series 14, the presenters were seen taking the Aston Martin DBS Volante, Ferrari California and Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder on a road trip to Romania. While driving through the Romanian countryside, Clarkson commented on Romania as being "Borat country, with gypsies and Russian playboys", referring to the 2006 mockumentary starring Sacha Baron Cohen about the fictional journalist from Kazakhstan, which had filmed a few scenes in Romania. The mockumentary had already stirred controversy in the country, with a number of local Roma who were involved in the film attempting to sue 20th Century Fox and Cohen. Romanian newspapers claimed that the comments by Clarkson were "offensive" and "bad publicity for their country".
The Romanian Times also reported that Clarkson called Romania a "gypsy land". Complaints were also rife regarding Clarkson's actions to don a pork pie hat which he called a "gypsy" hat, while commenting: "I'm wearing this hat so the gypsies think I am [another gypsy]." The Romanian ambassador later sent a letter to the producers of Top Gear, in which he showed his appreciation for the show, highlighted the press's freedom of expression, the non-discriminatory spirit, and the fact that 89.5% of the country's population is Romanian, 6.5% is ethnic Hungarians, 2.5% are ethnic Roma and 1.5% are other ethnic groups. He also asked for the show to be re-edited for future showings to exclude the offensive material."Romanian Ambassador in London Asks Top Gear to Re-edit Episode Shot in Romania" , MediaFax
The Daily Telegraph was hacked by a group of Romanians, who stated, "We are sick of being misrepresented as Gypsies, and thanks to Top Gear, have been publicly insulted". The group took over two pages of the website, covering them in Romanian flags and playing "Lonely Shepherd" by Gheorghe Zamfir (featured on the soundtrack from the film Kill Bill).
Mexico During the second episode of series 16, the presenters mocked the Mastretta MXT, a Mexican sports car, on account of it being designed in Mexico. James May introduced the car as "The Tortilla", then remarked that he did not remember what it was called. Hammond then stated: "Cars reflect national characteristics [...] a Mexican car's just going to be a lazy, feckless, flatulent oaf with a moustache, leaning against a fence asleep, looking at a cactus with a blanket with a hole in the middle on as a coat". This was followed up by James May suggesting that all Mexican food resembles "refried sick" and "sick with cheese on it", Richard Hammond remarking, "I'm sorry, but just imagine waking up and remembering you're Mexican" and Jeremy Clarkson adding, "It'd be brilliant because you could just go straight back to sleep again!" Clarkson ended the segment by suggesting that the Mexican ambassador to Britain would be too lazy to make any kind of complaint. This prompted the Mexican ambassador, Eduardo Medina Mora, to write to the BBC: "The presenters of the program resorted to outrageous, vulgar and inexcusable insults to stir bigoted feelings against the Mexican people, their culture as well as their official representative in the United Kingdom. These offensive, xenophobic and humiliating remarks only serve to reinforce negative stereotypes and perpetuate prejudice against Mexico and its people".
BBC issued a letter defending the jokes, stating that national stereotyping was a part of British humour, but apologizing to the Mexican ambassador for the remarks made about him personally. The episode had the Mexican comments cut from its broadcast in the United States.
Comedian Steve Coogan, who has appeared on the show three times, criticised the programme for its pitiful apology, suggesting that the usual defence of "a bit of a laugh", or "harmless fun" was no longer appropriate, that the insults had gone too far, and described the comments as "as funny as a cold sweat followed by shooting pains down the left arm". He also criticised the show for what he described as lazy, adolescent humour and "casual racism" in reference specifically to this episode. Yahoo editor, Richard Evans, described the programme's conduct as another "Sachsgate waiting to happen".
However, Mastretta appeared to brush off the insults, with general director Carlos Mastretta clarifying that the car was simply used as a pretext for the jokes, and that the controversy has increased interest in the MXT.