The star of the popular motoring show Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson, has definitely moved into high gear by signing on for a show with Amazon for 15 million a year. Clarkson now commands the top slot for UK’s highly paid TV hosts with his Top Gear’s co-hosts, James May and Richard Hammond, reportedly not far behind.
Amazon’s new show has an annual budget of $250 million and will be aired next year in Autumn. In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, Amazon’s CEO and millionaire Jeff Bezos said that while the Top Gear Trio was very expensive, he is confident about the global success of the new show, which is part of Amazon’s strategy to compete with Netflix and other channels.
Jeremy Clarkson’s career was hanging in balance after he was fired from Top Gear as a result of a dispute with a producer. He reportedly punched the producer over his meal not being ready after filming an episode. The incident was the last straw in the already fragile relationship Jeremy Clarkson had with BBC producers and resulted in a suspension. He is reported to have said that he’s “off to the job centre” when he left after filming.
It is a mark of the Top Gear Team’s popularity that Amazon participated in an auction to get them under their umbrella. In an interview with Radio Times, the show’s producer Andy Wilson said that the main reason for signing up with Amazon was the substantial budget and the freedom to produce shows of the quality they want without interference.