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James May Says New Top Gear's Stunt at Historic Monument Was "Ill-Judged"

The new Top Gear team has begun filming, and some of you already know that the stunts performed by some of them were not approved by the British authorities and public.
James May 1 photo
Photo: James May's Facebook
For those who do not recall the incident that took place earlier this month, American rally driver and YouTube showman Ken Block performed a few stunts around the Cenotaph in London.

The Cenotaph is a historical monument, and the team was authorized to close the street for filming, but burnouts and donuts were out of the question.

However, it appears that things went overboard, and the “Hoonicorn” took over Ken Block's better judgment and performed some stunts in the vicinity of the monument.

The event caused an outrage in the British media, and authorities were disappointed by the actions of the new Top Gear team.

The stunts were considered disrespectful, as the Cenotaph is a monument built 95 years ago to honor fallen British troops in World War I, as well as the armed conflicts that followed.

Chris Evans, one of the presenters of the new team of the BBC show quickly apologized for the event and the skid marks on the road, and promised not to show the footage of these stunts on TV out of respect for the people to which the Cenotaph is dedicated.

James May, a former presenter of Top Gear, was also asked about the event, and he disapproved the stunt. Also known as “Captain Slow,” the former member of the team said in an interview with The Guardian that he considers doing donuts inappropriate wherever it happens, and his comment on the event was that the stunt was “possibly a little unwise, ill-advised.

As some of you know, British people have a way with words, so Mr. May's statement could easily be interpreted as “the stunt was dumb, and an incredibly bad idea.” However, the journalist refrained from such comments since he is a gentleman, and slurring the person that took your job is unprofessional.

Along with the interview regarding the actions of the new Top Gear team, James May disclosed some information concerning the new show he will be on with his mates, Richard Hammond and Jeremy Clarkson. According to James May, the new show on Amazon Prime will not use a studio like Top Gear had.

Instead, they will do more driving and activities, and each season will have around 11 episodes. Compared to Top Gear, their new show will have more footage, and the sometimes tedious studio bits will probably never reappear.

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About the author: Sebastian Toma
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Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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