jjs 64 Report post Posted July 8, 2008 Between them, they have shrugged off criticism for ramming a 300-year-old chestnut tree, sipping gin and tonics at the wheel of a car and dashing to the North Pole in a gas-guzzling 4x4. But it seems the testosterone-fuelled harmony of Britain's leading trio of petrolheads is in danger of disintegrating over the delicate matter of who is paid what to present Top Gear. While Jeremy Clarkson, the denim-clad high priest of the UK's unreconstructed middle-aged males, makes a reputed £1 million ($2.6m) a year to host the BBC's hugely popular and lucrative motoring programme, his co-presenters, Richard Hammond and James May, have long been relegated to a lower pay bracket of about £15,000 per show. But after Hammond, 38, crashed a jet-powered dragster at more than 322km/h and May, 45, branched out with a BBC2 series alongside oenophile Oz Clarke, there are now fears they may be about to leave Top Gear by refusing to sign new contracts. Negotiations between the presenters and BBC managers are understood to have ground to a halt after they insisted their irreverent brand of weekly worship of the combustion engine deserved similar financial reward to that of Clarkson, 48, whose stream of books, DVDs and newspaper columns earned him £1.7m ($4.4m) last year. Agents for both men are believed to have argued they have emerged from the leather blouson-shaped shadow of Clarkson because of the response to Hammond's near-fatal crash in 2006 and May's success in Oz and James' Big Wine Adventure. BBC managers say Top Gear remains their main "shop window" and they should be paid less than their co-host. The current series of Top Gear is to end shortly and, although the team is contracted for a 12th series later this year, all plans for subsequent runs of the show have been put on hold. A source close to the negotiations said: "Richard and James are adamant they will no longer be second rankers to Jeremy on this. They feel they all have similar profiles now and should be receiving similar fees. It is possible one of them, or both, might feel compelled to leave." A BBC spokeswoman said: "We never comment on specific contract negotiations." Since its arrival in 1995, Top Gear has become one of the BBC's most loved and profitable franchises, with multiple spin-offs including a magazine and a road show. Despite falling foul of critics and regulators for some of their more irresponsible stunts, the adventures of Stig, the enigmatic test driver, and the programme's excoriating reviews of some mass-production hatchbacks are screened in 28 countries from Denmark to Ukraine. It has a global audience of more than 200 million, and deals have recently been signed for the US and Australia to make their own versions. Last month, Clarkson signed a new deal with BBC Worldwide, the corporation's commercial arm, which is thought to give him a share of the profits made from Top Gear's international sales. The pay wrangle comes at a bad time for the corporation in its efforts to retain its leading talent after a review by the BBC Trust of the salaries of stars. The report concluded: "The BBC has to be prepared to walk away from deals that do not offer good value." - INDEPENDENT Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simke 0 Report post Posted July 8, 2008 I'd be a shame if they do split up. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chompa 0 Report post Posted July 8, 2008 gutted, personally i dont think the show will be half as good without them.. they make it enjoyable aswel as informative and franky if it wasnt i dont think any of the woman in our homes would put up watching it! (i DONT wear the pants obviously so keep it funny too in the hope i will continue to be able to watch it) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
martyyn 2 Report post Posted July 8, 2008 It happened ages ago. Top Gear was cancelled and 5th Gear was spawned with Vicky, Tiff and the rest of them going to channel 5. A year later Top Gear was back in its current format and has gone from strength to strength. May and Hammond were nobodies before TG and lets be honest, it may as well be renamed The Jeremy Clarkson Show because no matter who else is there, its his show. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simke 0 Report post Posted July 8, 2008 It happened ages ago. Top Gear was cancelled and 5th Gear was spawned with Vicky, Tiff and the rest of them going to channel 5. A year later Top Gear was back in its current format and has gone from strength to strength. May and Hammond were nobodies before TG and lets be honest, it may as well be renamed The Jeremy Clarkson Show because no matter who else is there, its his show. It may be Jeremy's show, but as chompa has said without May and Hammond it wouldn't be half as good. They've been there for a long time, and the show without them just wouldn't be the same. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
martyyn 2 Report post Posted July 8, 2008 You miss my point. Thats exactly what they said about Vicky and Tiff and look where they are now. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M3 Cab 0 Report post Posted July 8, 2008 Good god no only $15k an episode for one of the coolest jobs, Id bail as well Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jjs 64 Report post Posted July 8, 2008 Good god no only $15k an episode for one of the coolest jobs, Id bail as well Actually, I thought they would earn a lot more than that. Think of how much revenue they create for the show and magazine. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
westy 614 Report post Posted July 8, 2008 Oh no!!! The US and Aus are making their own versions. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
savvi 0 Report post Posted July 8, 2008 the stigs my favourite, wonder what he gets paid Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M3 Cab 0 Report post Posted July 8, 2008 Actually, I thought they would earn a lot more than that. Think of how much revenue they create for the show and magazine. Still hard to sympathize with them. They also have other shows and book deals etc so not exactly hard up Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hybrid 1043 Report post Posted July 8, 2008 Oh no!!! The US and Aus are making their own versions. Aus !??!?! this will be classic ... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bmw.maniac 1 Report post Posted July 8, 2008 Aus !??!?! this will be classic ... Who heard about the loon that was trying to set up a NZ version abou a year or so ago? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike 1 Report post Posted July 8, 2008 sh*t, might have to send a cv off to the BBC- I'll happily take their jobs Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
camera doctor 25 Report post Posted July 8, 2008 Don't believe everything printed in the paper. From the 'Horses Mouth' Topgear Reaction to news stories Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chompa 0 Report post Posted July 10, 2008 Don't believe everything printed in the paper. From the 'Horses Mouth' Topgear Reaction to news stories hahah his reply was classic.. and had some valid points! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
allan 295 Report post Posted July 12, 2008 Another fine example of the media stirring up the preferable. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
