Look who's back at the BBC! Clarkson returns to the Beeb as Hammond and May give a VERY awkward interview to promote The Grand Tour - but refuse to mention Top Gear by name

Clarkson chose Radio 2 while his Grand Tour co-hosts went on One Show
Hammond and May forced into cardboard car and jokes about their pay
Clarkson referred to as 'he who shall not be named' in awkward show
He tweeted: 'I could have done The One Show but Richard and James really really wanted to do it on their own. They love the humour'

Published: 21:53 GMT, 15 November 2016 | Updated: 16:53 GMT, 16 November 2016

e-mail

480

View
comments

Jeremy Clarkson returned to the BBC last night but snubbed the One Show, forcing James May and Richard Hammond to do an awkward interview on their own.

The trio's new show The Grand Tour launches on Friday but ringleader Clarkson chose to promote it on Radio 2 instead.

Meanwhile May and Hammond were forced to arrive on the One Show set in a cardboard car and Top Gear was not mentioned by name.

It then got more awkward as presenters Alex Jones and Angellica Bell made comments about how much Amazon were paying them after they quit the BBC.

Clarkson was referred to as 'he who shall not be named' and afterwards he sent a series of sarcastic tweets about the show.

He said: 'I could have done The One Show but Richard and James really really wanted to do it on their own. They love the humour'. He added: 'James and Richard are in their element. They love talking about pension scams'.

Scroll down for video

Riding solo: Jeremy Clarkson was snapped arriving at BBC Radio 2 studios on Tuesday night without his presenting pals Richard Hammond and James May

Checking in: Dressed in jeans and grey suede shoes he made his way to reception followed by female aides

Welcome back: Richard and James suffered an awkward return to the BBC earlier in the evening, more than a year after Jeremy's controversial sacking from Top Gear

Afterwards One Show viewers said May and Hammond were treated badly on their BBC return, with one tweeting: 'The interview with @MrJamesMay & @RichardHammond was shockingly bad - jealous and snide comments not needed #TheOneShow'.

Another wrote: 'Very awkward interview on #TheOneShow there. Sounded like they were forced to have Hammond and May on, but hate them with a passion.'

Jeremy Clarkson was snapped arriving at BBC Radio 2 studios, once more without his presenting pals.

The controversial former Top Gear host cut a relaxed figure as he strolled with his hands tucked in his jacket pockets.

Dressed in jeans and grey suede shoes he made his way to reception followed by female aides.

The team are hot on the promo trail in the lead up to The Grand Tour's Friday launch on Amazon Prime.

A car has been 'crashed' into the ground in the Hollywood Walk of Fame, while another has been made to look like it's erupting from the ground in Berlin's Hackescher Markt.

Cutting a casual figure: The controversial former Top Gear host cut a relaxed figure as he strolled with his hands tucked in his jacket pockets

Wrapped up: Jeremy wore his quilted jacket over a grey hoodie and blue shirt

Both installations have been garnering plenty of attention from passers-by and will no doubt have intrigued them enough to stream the show.

Earlier on Tuesday night Hammond and May appeared on the The One Show, their first appearance on the BBC following Clarkson's exit in the wake of his controversial sacking from Top Gear more than a year ago.

The presenters were without their co-host as they returned to their former employer to promote their new Amazon Prime motoring show The Grand Tour, available to stream from Friday.

But direct references to Top Gear were deflected as they fielded questions during a frequently stilted interview with Alex Jones and Angellica Bell on The One Show.

Making an impact: Ahead of the show's launch on Friday a car was 'crashed' into the ground at the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Rising up: Another car erupted from the ground at Hackescher Markt in Berlin

Reflecting on their departure from the BBC last September, May reluctantly responded when asked by Bell if he felt he'd made the right decision - but avoided mentioning their former show by name, despite admitting it was in need of an overhaul long before their exit.

'The way I've always explained it is, and this is going to sound sanctimonious, but the three of us had a duty to stay together because that's what people wanted to see,' he said.

'A lot of people in TV and media forget that their responsibility is to their viewers and fans, and it also means the other show that we were never on and never heard of could be properly reinvented, which to be brutally honest it probably needed.'

We'll ask the questions: References to Top Gear were deflected as they fielded questions during a frequently stilted interview with Alex Jones and Angellica Bell on The One Show

Steal Alex's style in an embellished shirt from River Island

£38

River Island white embellished shirt

Available here...

Buy now

Alex Jones always looks perfectly put together when presenting The One Show, and on last night's episode she proved that at this time of year even workwear staples deserve a bit of festive sparkle!

She looked very chic in this white shirt, featuring gold buttons and gem embellishment around the neckline. It's from none other than River Island and it's the perfect way to up your style game this season. Team it with a leather skirt, opaque tights and ankle boots by day, then switch to skinny jeans and killer heels for Christmas cocktails in the evening.

Click the link (right) to get your hands on Alex's exact style. But do it ASAP, because it's selling out as we speak!

Can't see your size? Not a problem! We've got plenty of similar options lined up for you in the edit below. This blingy bug shirt from Topshop is going straight into our virtual shopping basket...

* PRICES MAY NOT BE AS ADVERTISED

...NOW GET ONE LIKE IT

With tongue firmly in cheek, Bell had previously refereed to the presenters as 'two middle aged men with money burning a hole in their pockets' - one of numerous references to The Grand Tour's rumoured budget of £4.5 million an episode.

Their appearance had already got off to an awkward start after the pair reluctantly made their way into the studio inside a crude car shaped cardboard cut-out.

'You're here because of your new show, and its all top secret because your employers want to sell your subscriptions,' she joked as the two presenters took a seat.

Seeing the funny side: The absent Clarkson later reacted to their awkward interview on Twitter

Incoming: The pair beamed as they made their way into BBC studios earlier that night

Awkward: Dave Vitty was quick to react to their stilted appearance on social media

Painful: David McManus was perplexed by their appearance on the BBC show

Path well trodden: The pair were returning to the BBC more than a year after their high profile departure

Ouch: David Thomas was equally scathing following their appearance on Tuesday evening

Jones added: 'We should rubbish it because we know the BBC have a rival car show but it's really difficult because it's good, very good – which is annoying.'

The awkward interview was not lost on Clarkson, who later tweeted: 'I could have done The One Show but Richard and James really really wanted to do it on their own. They love the humour.'

Elsewhere social media users were quick to react to their stilted appearance, with fan Dave Vitty tweeting: 'Why are the One Show awkwardly promoting the new Clarkson Amazon show, without Clarkson there, and with Hammond and being awkwardly odd?'

Twitter user Dave McManus agreed, writing: 'The One Show talking to Hammonmd and May about The Grand Tour without mentioning Top Gear or Clarkson is horrifically painful.'

Meanwhile Dave Thomas wrote: 'James May and Richard Hammond on The One Show seems like a Top Gear challenge where the losers have to appear on it.'

Plenty to smile about: The Grand Tour will launch on Amazon Prime this Friday

Amazon Prime is reportedly paying over £160 million for 12 shows a year over three years, giving them an astronomical budget of £4.5 million per episode.

The forthcoming twelve-episode show will take in locations across the United States South Africa, England, the Netherlands, Finland and Germany before culminating in spectacular fashion at the foot of the world's tallest building, The Burj Khalifa, in Dubai.

Amazon Prime members can watch The Grand Tour via the Amazon Video app on smart TVs, streaming media players, Android phones and tablets, and on the web.

Opening in desert of California, The Grand Tour will launch on November 18.