Top Gear live shows to go ahead but with a different name
Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond will still take part in the ‘Top Gear’ tour, which will go ahead under a different name.
BBC bosses have confirmed the shows, scheduled until November, will still take place but will be known as ‘Clarkson, Hammond and May Live’ following the sacking of Jeremy last week after an altercation with a producer.
In a statement, BBC Worldwide said: “So as not to disappoint the thousands of people around the world who have already purchased tickets, BBC Worldwide has agreed with our joint venture partner Brand Events that the remainder of the tour can continue. These events will not however feature any BBC Top Gear branding or content. We believe this is a sensible approach in the circumstances.”
The announcement means scheduled UK events in Belfast, Sheffield and London will go ahead as planned, while dates in Australia this month have been rescheduled for July 18-19 in Melbourne and July 25-26 in Sydney, and March dates in Norway will now take place on June 20-21.
Organisers Brand Events said: “This is a great solution for the fans. We’d like to thank our ticket holders for their continued patience. The fans are the most important people to Jeremy, Richard and James so we’re delighted to be able to say ‘we’re still coming’. We’re sure it’ll be something you won’t want to miss.”
The 54-year-old host was dismissed from the long-running motoring series after allegedly punching producer Oisin Tymon, which the BBC director general Tony Hall said was not a decision he had taken “lightly”.
Since the news emerged, it had been widely reported producer Andy Wilman had also quit the programme, although he has now denied the suggestions and said an email congratulating his colleagues for making “one of the most iconic programmes in TV history” had been misinterpreted.
He told BBC News: “The email I wrote yesterday was not a resignation statement, and nor was it meant for public consumption.”
