Photo: Chris Harris
Early this morning (Saturday, March 14th), renowned wheelman Chris Harris took to Twitter. Why? Just to let us know that he, like many others, "bought the Sun for the first time in years to read what @JeremyClarkson had to say?"
The biggest media scandal to rock the auto industry in decades has everybody talking at the moment. It all started like a quiet whisper, when the BBC announced it was suspending Jeremy Clarkson after a "fracas" with one of Top Gear's produces.
Things quickly escalated and we found out Jeremy was in more trouble than we though, while the Sun article Harris talks about actually says Jeremy Clarkson may leave Top Gear altogether. The most famous Top Gear presenter compares himself to a dinosaur that needs to be extinct, which some people may find depressing.
Most people can't even fathom the most popular car show on the planet without him, even though they know Jeremy will have to retire sooner rather than later due to his age.
What most of us don't know is that Jeremy is a bit like Bernie Ecclestone in that he basically owns part of Top Gear. We don't know the precise details, but in 2012 for example he earned 14 million pounds from the BBC. The presenter job only gave him £1 million, while £8.4 million was in return for his 30 percent stake in the Bedder 6 production company he co-founded with Top Gear executive producer Andy Wilman, and another £4.86 million came from dividend payment.
The BBC stands to lose even more than that, since the merchandise linked to Jeremy is a huge cash cow. Top Gear brings in a estimated £42 million a year, according to some, but that number could be much higher.
Who is Harris and why do we care about him? Just a guy. But he's enthusiastic about cars, and he conveys his passion really well in how he talks in his videos and such. Have you ever met a person who is just genuinely charismatic and their being happy kind of makes you happy? The /DRIVE presenter is like that. Clarkson isn't; he's more of a satirical, sharp-edged guy.
I think there's an even bigger difference between the two. Jeremy is basically a 6' 5" (1.96 m) tall corporation. On the other hand Harris has always been a freelancer and is more accustomed to the grind. Because Top Gear as a website and online presence is feels broken to me, i think they need somebody like him in the future.
Things quickly escalated and we found out Jeremy was in more trouble than we though, while the Sun article Harris talks about actually says Jeremy Clarkson may leave Top Gear altogether. The most famous Top Gear presenter compares himself to a dinosaur that needs to be extinct, which some people may find depressing.
What's really at stake?
We've all seen videos of early Top Gear where Jeremy has really weird hair and even worse close. But what most of us don't realize is that his TV career started way back on 27 October 1988. The early format of the show was kept until 2000, then the new Top Gear style which we know today started in 2002.Most people can't even fathom the most popular car show on the planet without him, even though they know Jeremy will have to retire sooner rather than later due to his age.
What most of us don't know is that Jeremy is a bit like Bernie Ecclestone in that he basically owns part of Top Gear. We don't know the precise details, but in 2012 for example he earned 14 million pounds from the BBC. The presenter job only gave him £1 million, while £8.4 million was in return for his 30 percent stake in the Bedder 6 production company he co-founded with Top Gear executive producer Andy Wilman, and another £4.86 million came from dividend payment.
The BBC stands to lose even more than that, since the merchandise linked to Jeremy is a huge cash cow. Top Gear brings in a estimated £42 million a year, according to some, but that number could be much higher.
Wonder how many people, like me, today bought the Sun for the first time in years to read what @JeremyClarkson had to say?
— chris harris (@harrismonkey) March 14, 2015
Chris Harris on Top Gear - who's that guy?
This isn't the first time Chris Harris was linked to Top Gear. The auto journalist is no doubt younger than Jeremy and some have suggested he might be a good replacement. Of course, it's not as simple as that, since he might not work with the format the BBC wants to have.Who is Harris and why do we care about him? Just a guy. But he's enthusiastic about cars, and he conveys his passion really well in how he talks in his videos and such. Have you ever met a person who is just genuinely charismatic and their being happy kind of makes you happy? The /DRIVE presenter is like that. Clarkson isn't; he's more of a satirical, sharp-edged guy.
I think there's an even bigger difference between the two. Jeremy is basically a 6' 5" (1.96 m) tall corporation. On the other hand Harris has always been a freelancer and is more accustomed to the grind. Because Top Gear as a website and online presence is feels broken to me, i think they need somebody like him in the future.
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