Top Gear boss sends 'au revoir' message to staff after Jeremy Clarkson sacking

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Andy Wilman forced to say he's not quit after email to 113 Top Gear staff
Said group helped make 'one of the most iconic programmes in TV history'
Mr Wilman revamped Top Gear with old schoolfriend Clarkson in 2002
ITV and Netflix said to be in pole position to sign presenter and Wilman

Published: 04:57 EST, 31 March 2015 | Updated: 05:26 EST, 31 March 2015

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Top Gear's executive producer and Jeremy Clarkson's right-hand man Andy Wilman has written an email to his colleagues titled 'au revoir' - but today denied it was a resignation.

Mr Wilman, a schoolfriend of Clarkson who helped revamp Top Gear in to the BBC's most successful show, congratulated staff on making 'one of the most iconic programmes in TV history'.

The 52-year-old, who has himself made millions from the show, said in his email that the Top Gear team 'made television that was beautiful to look at and beautiful to listen to'.

Leaked email: Top Gear executive producer Andy Wilman, left, a schoolfriend of Jeremy Clarkson, right yesterday, has told colleagues it his 'stint' in charge of the show is over but denied he had resigned

Meeting: Mr Wilman picked up James May last week for a lunch meeting and had thanked the 113 people who worked on the show since he took over in 2002 for their hard work

He added: 'At least we left 'em wanting more. And that alone, when you think about it, is quite an achievement for a show that started 13 years ago.

'We had a lot of laughs, we had a lot of tiffs. We went to amazing places and we went to some s***holes. We nearly killed a presenter, we had to run for the border.

'When you're feeling low in your working day at any point, look around at some of the c*** on TV, then have a think about Top Gear, 2002- 2015, and say to yourself: "I made that".'

Reassuring them that they will keep their jobs even though Jeremy Clarkson lost his he said: 'For those of you who still rely on it for work, don't worry, because the BBC will make sure the show continues.

'Our stint as guardians of Top Gear was a good one, but we were only part of the show's history, not the whole of it. Those two words are bigger than us.'.

The email was leaked by a BBC member of staff yesterday, which led to Mr Wilman denying he had quit the corporation.

It appears he is a member of BBC staff whereas Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond are self-employed on freelance contracts. These were all due expire today.

Final time? James May, Richard Hammond and Jeremy Clarkson on set in the final episode shown before the presenter lost his job

New wheels: Clarkson was seen taking delivery of a black Mercedes car at his flat yesterday as he prepares for life after the BBC

Top Gear presenter James May has been spotted at the BBC where he is believed to have been in talks with creative director Alan Yentob - who may be in charge of trying to keep May and Richard Hammond

As the corporation confirmed Mr Wilman is still a member of staff he said: 'The email I wrote yesterday was not a resignation statement, and nor was it meant for public consumption.

'It was a private note of thanks to 113 people who have worked on the show over the years, but clearly one of those 113 is a bit of a tit, because they shared it with a website.

'I don't get this modern obsession with sharing, linking, forwarding, re-tweeting; whatever happened to a private moment?

HOW CLARKSON AND SCHOOL CHUM WILMAN MADE MILLIONS

Andy Wilman, Top Gear’s longstanding executive producer, has known Mr Clarkson since they were children, when they both attended the £10,500-a-term Repton School in Derby.

The two men have been inseparable for years, and BBC executives put trust in Mr Wilman to keep Mr Clarkson in check, following a string of scandals.

The production company set up by Jeremy Clarkson and Top Gear executive Andy Wilman, right, was formed for next to nothing in October 2006 and has now made them millions.

The pair went to the same prestigious private school in Repton, Derbyshire, where they were two years apart, before working together on various TV projects including Top Gear.

New boys at Repton were called ‘stigs’ and the pair had the appropriate idea of calling their sometimes put-upon test driver ‘The Stig’.

Bedder 6 was later bought into by BBC Worldwide in 2007, purchasing half the 10,000 shares and also handing over merchandising and some foreign sales rights to the company.

Its last publicly known financial results were released four years ago, where it made a £1.8million post-tax profit and paid out £700,000 to its shareholders.

In 2012 BBC bought Clarkson out - making him £5million.

There is speculation about where the name Bedder 6 comes from, and it is believed it is a pun on 'better sex' - a reference to an in-joke about one of the dormitories at Wilman and Clarkson's former school.

'And if I were to resign, I wouldn't do it publicly, I'd do it old school by handing in my, er, notice, to someone upstairs in HR.

'I work behind the camera and I wouldn't presume for one moment to think people are interested in what I do. Now, everyone back to work.'

Mr Wilman has been a regular visitor to his friend Jeremy Clarkson since his sacking a week ago, and was last seen leaving his west London flat in his Mercedes sports car on Friday.

The previous day he had met with Clarkson and Top Gear co-star James May for lunch, presumably to discuss the scandal and what the team would do next.

Last Wednesday, on the day the presenter's sacking was announced Mr Wilman was again at Clarkson's flat, this time with the star's girlfriend Phillipa Sage,

James May was yesterday spotted at the BBC where he is believed to have been in talks with creative director Alan Yentob.

The pair were seen laughing and chatting as they walked outside the BBC headquarters in Portland Place, London, where Mr May was stopped by a passer-by for an autograph.

The BBC declined to say what the meeting between the two was about, although it appears creative director Alan Yentob is in charge of trying to keep May and Hammond.

Last week he said he hoped Richard Hammond and May would stay at the corporation following the sacking of co-host Jeremy Clarkson.

He also told the Media Show that it was 'perfectly natural' for the pair to have reservations about continuing Top Gear without Clarkson.

He said: 'It's perfectly natural for them. They are a team they have worked together for a very long time, they are all very attached.

'If Jeremy is not in it and Richard and James are, that needs to be a conversation with them as well. They need to be happy about what's going on and where they think the programme needs to be.'

He added: 'The question of what happens next for Top Gear is a conversation which must go on between the controller of BBC2 Kim Shillinglaw, between Andy (Wilman - producer of Top Gear) and the team.'

Sources have told MailOnline that ITV are prepared to offer him £10million to sign for the trio, with Clarkson's executive producer and schoolfriend Andy Wilman having reportedly met with them.

Netflix are also said to be keen to sign them up for an exclusive online, worldwide series that could make them substantially more money.

BBC director general Tony Hall sacked Clarkson, 54, after an internal inquiry found he had launched an ‘unprovoked verbal and physical attack’ on junior producer Oisin Tymon, 36 because he could not have a steak.

The row broke out after the star complained no hot food was available at the Yorkshire hotel where the TV crew were staying after a day’s filming.

IT'S AU REVOIR BUT IS IT GOODBYE? ANDY WILMAN'S TOP GEAR EMAIL

Well, at least we left 'em wanting more. And that alone, when you think about it, is quite an achievement for a show that started 13 years ago. I know none of us wanted it to end this way, but for a moment I'd like us to look back and think about just what an incredible thing you all had a hand in creating. When Jane Root gave us the green light in 2002, the brief was to reinvigorate a car show and get an audience of three million. What you all ended up making was one of the most iconic programmes in TV history, a show about cars that went global, won countless awards, was devoured by non car fans and ended up in the Guinness Book of Records.

We had a lot of laughs, we had a lot of tiffs. We went to amazing places and we went to some s***holes. We nearly killed a presenter, we had to run for the border. We started off with whoever we could get in the Reasonably Priced Car, and ended up with Tom Cruise. Throughout all this we made television that was beautiful to look at and beautiful to listen to. The work ethic never slipped, the desire for everyone in this dysfunctional family to do right by the show never faltered. Jeremy, Richard and James, as the visible tip of the iceberg, got most of the attention and praise, but you all in your own fields had such an immense hand in weaving this unforgettable tapestry. I would love to single out everybody by name to thank them for what they did, but it's impossible and I'd forget someone I shouldn't have and that would be crap, so I'll just say Jim, I'm sorry we never got a bear to drive an automatic.

For those of you who still rely on it for work, don't worry, because the BBC will make sure the show continues. Our stint as guardians of Top Gear was a good one, but we were only part of the show's history, not the whole of it. Those two words are bigger than us.

Anyway, when you're feeling low in your working day at any point, look around at some of the c*** on TV, then have a think about Top Gear, 2002- 2015, and say to yourself: 'I made that.'

A big, big, big thank you, which will never be enough.

Andy.