James May says his BBC Top Gear exit was avoidable after Jeremy Clarkson punch

James May has opened up connected the demise of his Top Gear career, saying bosses could person handled the Jeremy Clarkson punch incidental successful a antithetic way

James May has said his exit from BBC's Top Gear was avoidable.

The presenter, on with Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond, had been the look of the bid for implicit a decennary since helium joined successful 2002. However, an on-set altercation betwixt Clarkson and a shaper led to the trio's exit. They continued moving together, however, and joined Amazon Prime Videos for The Grand Tour successful 2015.

Despite the occurrence connected a caller platform, May believes the BBC could person dealt with Clarkson's fracas - successful which helium punched shaper Oisin Tymon - successful a antithetic way. Following the incident, an probe was launched. With Clarkson's exit sealed, some May and Hammond refused to motion a caller contract, bringing the show's astir palmy epoch to an end.

Speaking to The Times astir however their exit played out, May confessed: "I thought it was precise unfortunate and I don’t really deliberation our Top Gear had to extremity due to the fact that of it. I deliberation it could person been patched up and enactment down to a spot of precocious accent and flightiness, to beryllium honest. It happened. It’s regrettable and it’s unfortunate, but it didn’t request to pb to the illness of thing precise successful." He added that helium pondered their exit being down to radical reasoning it was "time of america to determination on".

Clarkson's fury with Tymon was reportedly owed to being incapable to bid blistery nutrient portion helium was filming with different formed astatine Simonstone Hall Hotel adjacent Hawes, North Yorkshire. He is said to person returned to his edifice aft a agelong time of filming and recovered determination was lone crockery and a acold nutrient platter available.

An onlooker told the Mirror astatine the clip that the star, who had been drinking rosé wine, launched into an expletive-filled tirade utilizing “every atrocious connection you could deliberation of”. They claimed helium ranted “so there’s nary food” erstwhile helium was told helium would not get the steak helium wanted. The witnesser said: “We were amazed astatine his absorption due to the fact that we were each reasoning ‘surely crockery is food’. The witness, who did not privation to beryllium named, further added: “When they arrived conscionable aft 10pm Clarkson got angry.

“It was much similar a scuffle. But helium did curse utilizing each atrocious connection you could deliberation of. The shaper stood determination looking quiescent and embarrassed. He was being blamed for not arranging blistery food. The wide manager ended up cooking himself for the 3 presenters."

It's said Clarkson got his mode and was served a steak with fondant potatoes, cherry tomatoes, cookware fried chaotic mushrooms and greenish peppercorn sauce. Following the trio's exit from the show, bosses turned to Chris Evans to contiguous the iconic series. Matt Le Blanc, Freddie Flintoff and Paddy McGuinness person each featured arsenic presenters post-Clarkson.

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