Top Gear finale sparks complaints
The list of people offended by Jeremy Clarkson has grown after the final episode of Top Gear.
Broadcasting regulatory body Ofcom confirmed to Auto Trader it had received 47 complaints after Sunday’s episode of the car show.
During the episode, Clarkson made a comment about Asperger’s syndrome while a man shot himself in the head during a VW advert James and Jezza were creating.
But the feature which has caused the biggest stir in the media was Clarkson’s personal advert for the new Scirocco.
What did you think of Sunday's Top Gear?
After failing spectacularly as a double act, the pair decided to go it alone with Clarkson’s CCTV-inspired clip showing people in Warsaw, Poland, fleeing the city.
The commercial ended with an image of the VW and the tagline ‘Volkswagen Scirocco TDI: Berlin to Warsaw in one tank.’
As cameras went back to the studio, the audience erupted in laughter with Clarkson muttering the words: “When in doubt, use the war”.
It’s 366 miles from the Berlin to the Polish capital with the diesel Scirocco capable of 609 miles between fill-ups.
Despite the sensationalised furore, you won’t be hearing any complaints from Volkswagen. The car maker’s Scirocco website recorded its second biggest spike in page impressions ever.
Whenever Clarkson says something controversial, complaints tend to follow.
In February when he labelled Prime Minister Gordon Brown a “one-eyed Scottish idiot” the Royal National Institute of Blind People slammed him. Jezza apologised for the remarks.
Last year during a feature he said lorry driving was a hard job saying “change gear, change gear, change gear, check mirror, murder a prostitute, change gear, change gear, murder. That’s a lot of effort in a day.”
Despite 339 complaints, Ofcom ruled the joke did not breach the Broadcasting Code.
After Sunday’s episode, doubts were raised over whether Top Gear would continue after Clarkson’s ‘The End’ road-test of the Aston Martin V12 Vantage.
But you’ll be pleased to know the show will return in November unless Jeremy said he'll be back unless he “gets struck by a giant meteorite or spontaneously combusts”.
Watch Sunday's episode on iPlayer


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