THE AUSTRALIAN 4.2.09
Jeremy Clarkson arrives with mouth in top gear
BRITISH Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson is no less outspoken downunder,
mouthing off on Kevin Rudd, Germaine Greer, cricket...and more.
Clarkson and co-star Richard Hammond have arrived in Sydney to host
Top Gear Live - a stage version of their mega hit TV motoring show.
Fronting the media today with Top Gear Australia presenter Steve
Pizzati, Clarkson wasted no time offering his opinion on everything
and anything.
After spiders, crocodiles, sharks and box jellyfish, the 48-year-old
turned his attention to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and his Tuesday
night national address on the economic crisis.
"It's the first time I've ever seen a world leader admit we really
are in deep shit," Clarkson said.
"He genuinely looked terrified. The poor man, he's actually seen the
books.
"(In the UK) we've got this one-eyed Scottish idiot, he keeps telling
us everything's fine and he's saved the world and we know he's lying,
but he's smooth at telling us.
"Whereas old Kevin last night he really did look frightened."
Clarkson dismissed cricket as a game invented by people who didn't
have enough to do, and revealed a secret crush on Aussie feminist
Germaine Greer, who lives in London.
"Germaine, she's a good looking woman," he enthused.
Clarkson labelled Hammond a coward for quitting smoking, and blamed
London's recent snowfall on "too many green people in the world and
they aren't buying enough Range Rovers".
When asked a serious question about the state of the Australian
automotive industry, he admitted he didn't care.
Clarkson's humour and the ribbing between the hosts is an integral
part of Top Gear's appeal.
More than 82,000 tickets have been sold to the 10 Top Gear Live shows
at Sydney's Acer Arena, and Events NSW have announced Sydney has
secured the live spectacular until at least 2011.
Clarkson said fans of the British TV show could expect more of the
same in the stage version.
"There's a lot of cars about, a lot of smoke, noise, bangs, and The
Stig's here obviously," he said.
"It's just three men cocking about and falling over."
One missing ingredient is third host James May, who didn't make the
trip to Australia and will be replaced by Pizzati for the shows.
"James doesn't do abroad, he gets a funny tummy if he goes to Fulham,
Calais nearly kills him, Australia not a chance," Clarkson said.
Hammond and Clarkson said they were fans of the "brilliant" Top Gear
Australia which launched on SBS last year, and waved off claims that
it was inferior to their original.
"This is Australia, it's all in black and white," Clarkson joked.
"Ours is all in colour and everything."
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