Jeremy Clarkson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jeremy Clarkson
Clarkson in 2012
Born	Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson (1960-04-11) 11 April 1960 (age 65) Doncaster, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Occupation	Journalist broadcaster columnist writer farmer
Years active	1988–present
Employer	BBC (1988–2015) The Sunday Times (1993–present) The Sun (1996–present) Amazon (2016–present) ITV (2018–present)
Notable credit(s)	Top Gear (1988–2000; 2002–2015) The Grand Tour (2016–2024) Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (2018–present) Clarkson's Farm (2021–present)
Spouse(s)	Alexandra James ​ ​ (m. 1989; div. 1990)​ Frances Cain ​ ​ (m. 1993; div. 2014)​
Children	3
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Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson (born 11 April 1960) is an English television presenter, journalist, farmer, and author. He is famous for talking about cars and driving. He is best known for hosting the TV shows Top Gear (from 2002 to 2015) and The Grand Tour (from 2016 to 2024). He presented these shows with his friends Richard Hammond and James May.

Jeremy Clarkson also writes weekly articles for The Sunday Times and The Sun newspapers. He hosts the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (since 2018) and co-hosts the farming show Clarkson's Farm (since 2021).

Clarkson started his career as a local journalist in northern England. He became well-known when he joined the original Top Gear show in 1988. Since the mid-1990s, he has been a famous face on British TV. He has hosted his own shows for the BBC and appeared as a guest on many others. Besides cars, Clarkson has made shows and written books about history and engineering.

In 2015, the BBC decided not to renew Clarkson's contract. After this, he, Richard Hammond, James May, and producer Andy Wilman created a new company. They made The Grand Tour for Amazon Prime Video.

Clarkson is known for his strong opinions and funny, often sarcastic, way of speaking and writing. His style has often caused public discussion. He has many fans who say he helped make Top Gear one of the most popular shows on the BBC.

Since 2019, he has been a farmer at Diddly Squat Farm, which is featured in his show Clarkson's Farm. The show has been very popular on Amazon Prime. In 2024, a new rule called the "Clarkson's clause" was made. This rule makes it easier to change old farm buildings into shops or other businesses. This was inspired by his show, where he tried to open a restaurant.

Early Life and School

Childhood Years

Jeremy Clarkson was born in Doncaster, England. His mother, Shirley Gabrielle Clarkson, was a teacher, and his father, Edward Grenville Clarkson, was a travelling salesman. His parents ran a business selling tea cosies. They had planned for Jeremy to go to private schools, but they weren't sure how they would pay for it.

When Jeremy was 13, his parents made two Paddington Bear stuffed toys for him and his sister. These toys became very popular. They started selling them through their business. The creator of Paddington Bear, Michael Bond, found out and met with Clarkson's father. They got along well, and Bond gave the Clarksons the right to sell Paddington Bear toys worldwide. The money from this success helped them pay for Jeremy to attend Hill House School, Doncaster and later Repton School.

Time at Repton School

Clarkson has said he was very unhappy at Repton School. He experienced a lot of bullying there. He also says he was expelled from the school. He famously left with low grades in his final exams.

While at Repton, Clarkson was at school with Formula One engineer Adrian Newey and former Top Gear producer Andy Wilman. Before his voice changed, he also played a character named Atkinson in a BBC radio show called Children's Hour.

Career Highlights

Writing About Cars

Jeremy Clarkson's first job was selling Paddington Bear toys for his parents' business. Later, he trained as a journalist. He wrote for several local newspapers before becoming a motoring columnist. He said his first car column was for the Shropshire Star. He started by reviewing small cars and worked his way up to more expensive ones.

In 1984, Clarkson started the Motoring Press Agency (MPA) with another journalist. They tested cars for local newspapers and car magazines. He has also written regularly for Top Gear magazine since it began in 1993. Today, he writes weekly columns for The Sun and The Sunday Times newspapers. He has also written many funny books about cars and other topics.

Television Shows

Clarkson (right) with his fellow Top Gear presenters, Richard Hammond and James May, in 2008

Clarkson's first big TV job was on the British car show Top Gear. He joined on 27 October 1988 and stayed until 1999. A researcher on the show, Jon Bentley, helped him get the job. Clarkson impressed them by talking for 20 minutes about how bad a Citroën 2CV car was. Bentley said he was looking for someone who could make cars on TV fun and funny.

Clarkson (second from left) at the 2011 Top Gear Live show, along with James May (third from left) and Shane Jacobson (far left)

Clarkson later presented the new version of the show from 2002 to 2015. With James May and Richard Hammond, he helped make Top Gear one of the most-watched shows on BBC Two. It was shown in over 100 countries.

He also hosted the first series of the UK show Robot Wars. Once, during filming, a robot's weapon flew off and landed very close to him. From 1998 to 2000, he had his own talk show called Clarkson, where he interviewed famous people. He also presented documentaries about history and engineering.

Clarkson has appeared on many other TV shows. He was a guest on Room 101, where he listed things he disliked, like caravans and houseflies. He also appeared on Who Do You Think You Are? and learned that his ancestor invented the Kilner jar, which is used for preserving fruit. He has often been a guest host on the news quiz show Have I Got News for You.

Clarkson during filming for The Holy Trinity opening sequence of The Grand Tour in the Lucerne Valley, California in September 2016

In 2006, Clarkson was nominated for a BAFTA award for Best Entertainment Performance. In 2007, he won a Special Recognition Award at the National Television Awards. That same year, he and James May were the first people to reach the North Magnetic Pole in a car, which was shown in Top Gear: Polar Special.

In 2015, it was announced that Clarkson, along with Richard Hammond and James May, would present a new show on Amazon Prime Video. This show was called The Grand Tour and started in 2016. Since 2018, Clarkson has also hosted a new version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? on ITV.

Clarkson's Views and Impact

Clarkson in 2006

Political Views

Clarkson believes in personal freedom and doesn't like too many government rules. He often criticized the Labour governments for what he called a "ban" culture, like the smoking ban or the ban on fox hunting.

In 2007, to show that people worried too much about privacy, he published his bank account number in a newspaper. He expected no one to be able to take money out. However, someone set up a monthly payment of £500 to a charity called Diabetes UK.

Clarkson supported staying in the European Union during the 2016 vote. He felt that while the EU had problems, Britain would have less influence if it left.

He often talks about social issues, sometimes making fun of them. He has also criticized government plans like the London congestion charge and often makes jokes about people who drive caravans or ride bikes.

Environmental Views

Clarkson is often critical of the green movement and environmentalism. He has called groups like Greenpeace "eco-mentalists." He says he "loves the destination" of environmentalism, meaning he wants a cleaner world, but he dislikes how some groups try to achieve it. He has also spoken against windfarms and renewable energy, preferring hydrogen cars.

Clarkson has expressed doubts about climate change and whether human actions cause it. He once said that if Switzerland lost its skiing resorts or Miami Beach was washed away, it might not bother him. However, during a trip to Cambodia for The Grand Tour in 2019, he saw the effects of a severe drought on the Mekong River. He called it "genuinely alarming" but still wondered if humans were the cause. He is also against climate activism and has criticized teenage activist Greta Thunberg.

Public Image

Clarkson's public personality is often seen as strong and opinionated. He has said that his public views don't always match his private ones. He enjoys the attention his comments bring.

Some people have even blamed Clarkson's comments for the closure of car companies like Rover. However, Clarkson argues that his opinions don't have that much power. He once said, "When I said that the Ford Orion was the worst car ever it went on to become a best-selling car."

In 2005, Oxford Brookes University gave Clarkson an honorary degree in engineering. During the ceremony, a protester threw a banana meringue pie in his face. Clarkson took it well, saying "good shot."

In 2008, an internet petition was started to "Make Jeremy Clarkson Prime Minister". It received nearly 50,000 signatures. Clarkson later joked that he would be a terrible Prime Minister because he often changes his mind.

Other Interests

Military History

Clarkson is very interested in the British Armed Forces. Many of his TV shows and DVDs have featured military themes. For example, he has flown in military jets and shown cars escaping tanks or helicopters on Top Gear.

In 2003, Clarkson presented a documentary called The Victoria Cross: For Valour. It looked at people who received the Victoria Cross, which is a very brave award. He focused on his father-in-law, Robert Henry Cain, who won a VC during World War II. In 2007, Clarkson also made a documentary about the St Nazaire Raid, a famous Commando raid in 1942. He is also a supporter of Help for Heroes, a charity that helps wounded British soldiers.

Engineering and Machines

Clarkson loves engineering, especially new and groundbreaking inventions. In his show Inventions That Changed the World, he explored the invention of things like the gun, computer, and jet engine. He believes that the most important inventions happened during the Industrial Revolution.

He was given an honorary degree from Brunel University in 2003 for making engineering popular. In his book I Know You Got Soul, he writes about machines he believes have a "soul." He was very sad when the Concorde plane crashed and was retired, calling it "one huge leap backwards for mankind."

Clarkson once bought an English Electric Lightning jet fighter and put it in his garden. The local council made him remove it, saying it wasn't a "leaf blower." This was part of his TV show Speed.

On Top Gear, Clarkson raced a Bugatti Veyron (a very fast and expensive car) across Europe against a small plane. He won the race and called the Veyron "a triumph for lunacy over common sense."

Cars He Has Owned

Jeremy Clarkson has owned many different cars throughout his life. Here are some of them:

• Range Rover Autobiography V8
• Mercedes-Benz 600 Grosser LWB
• Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV6
• Range Rover Vogue SE
• Bentley Flying Spur
• "The Excellent" (a custom car from The Grand Tour)
• Lamborghini Trattori R8 270 DCR (a tractor for his farm)
• Lincoln Continental Mark V
• Mini
• Jaguar F-Type
• Range Rover P530 Autobiography
• Jaguar F-Type S
• Ford Cortina
• Volkswagen Scirocco 1
• Volkswagen Scirocco 2
• Honda CR-X
• BMW 3.0L CSL
• BMW Z1
• Ford Escort RS Cosworth
• Ferrari F355
• Toyota Land Cruiser
• Jaguar XJR
• Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG
• Volvo XC90
• Lotus Elise 111S
• Ford GT
• Ford Focus
• Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG
• Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder
• Aston Martin V8 Vantage
• Mercedes CLK63 AMG Black
• Mercedes-Benz CL 600
• Volkswagen Golf GTI
• Modified Bentley Continental GT V8
• Jeep Wrangler
• Range Rover TDV8 Vogue SE

Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder once owned by Clarkson

Clarkson really wanted a Ford GT because he loved the original Ford GT40 race cars. He managed to get one of the few imported to Britain. But he found it had many technical problems. After a "miserable month," he returned it. Later, he bought it back, calling it "the most unreliable car ever made."

In 2006, he bought a Gallardo Spyder. In 2008, he sold it because "idiots in Peugeots kept trying to race [him] in it." He has also owned three Volvo XC90s in a row, saying it was good for taking his children to school.

Cars He Likes

The Lexus LFA, considered by Clarkson to be the best car he has ever driven

Clarkson has praised the Czech-made Škoda Yeti, calling it possibly the best car in the world. He spent 20 minutes of a Top Gear episode showing how good it was. He also called the Alfa Romeo Brera "Cameron Diaz on wheels." He likes V8 Holden cars, which were sold in the UK as Vauxhalls. He once said about the Monaro, "I've fallen in love... with a Vauxhall!" He considers the Lexus LFA the best car he has ever driven.

During Top Gear's Patagonia Special, Clarkson said the Porsche 928 was special to him. He used it to drive to the hospital to see his dying father in 1994. He said the car was fast enough that he arrived in time to say goodbye.

Cars He Dislikes

Clarkson expressed hatred towards the Vauxhall Vectra.

Clarkson dislikes the British car brand Rover. He has criticized the company's history and its last model, the Rover 75. He also blamed the brand's "uncool" image for its sales problems. When Rover closed, he felt sorry for the workers but not for the company itself. Clarkson has also said he dislikes the Toyota Prius, Nissan Juke, and Citroën 2CV.

He has strongly criticized Vauxhalls and their parent company, General Motors. He especially dislikes the Vauxhall Vectra, calling it "one of my least favourite cars in the world" and saying it had "one of the worst chassis I've ever come across." After a Top Gear review of the Vectra in 1995, Vauxhall complained to the BBC, saying the review was unfair.

Personal Life

Clarkson married Alex Hall in 1989, but they divorced after six months. In May 1993, he married his manager, Frances Cain. She is the daughter of VC recipient Robert Henry Cain. They lived in Chipping Norton and had three children. Clarkson and Cain divorced in 2014.

In 2005, while testing a TVR Sagaris car for Top Gear, Clarkson hurt his back. He had to stop driving for six months.

Since 2017, Clarkson has been in a relationship with Lisa Hogan, a former actress. She also appears in his Amazon Prime series Clarkson's Farm. For his 60th birthday in 2020, Clarkson bought himself a Bentley Flying Spur.

In August 2024, Clarkson opened a pub called The Farmer's Dog in Asthall, near Burford. This pub is connected to his farming show.

Health

In August 2017, Clarkson was admitted to hospital with pneumonia while on holiday in Spain. He later said his lungs were in good condition for his age. In October 2024, he revealed that he had a stent fitted in his heart after his health suddenly got worse.

Filmography

Television

Music videos

Britcar 24 Hour Race Results

Year	Team	Co-drivers	Car	Car no.	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class pos.
2007	Team Top Gear	"The Stig" James May Richard Hammond	BMW 330d	78	4	396	39th	3rd

See also

In Spanish: Jeremy Clarkson para niños