Jeremy Clarkson ‘can’t bear to look’ at Top Gear since his exit in 2015

Jeremy Clarkson can’t bring himself to watch the latest series’ of BBC’s Top Gear since he was dismissed from the organisation in 2015.

The veteran broadcaster left the BBC following a so-called ‘fracas’ with one of Top Gear’s producers, and has since gone on to create a new show for Amazon entitled the Grand Tour. Clarkson also hosts Who Wants to be a Millionaire? on ITV.

In an interview with the Radio Times, he admitted that he couldn’t bring himself to watch the show under another presenting team. “It would be like going to visit your baby after it’s been adopted by someone else, and pressing your face up at the window,” he said.

The show rebooted after the departure of hosts Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, with a new presenting team consisting of radio DJ Chris Evans, actor Matt LeBlanc and racing driver Chris Harris. ‘Queen of the Nurburgring’ Sabine Schmitz, broadcaster Eddie Jordan and journalist Rory Reid were also bought on as secondary hosts.

The team’s gone through some revisions, though, with Evans departing after the first season, and LeBlanc announcing his retirement from the role after the current series. Ex-cricketer Freddie Flintoff and host of ITV’s Take Me Out Paddy McGuinness will join the team for the show’s 27th season.

Clarkson does still take an interest in the show’s fortunes, however. “I still care about Top Gear very much,” he said. “I dreamt it up, and everything on it is something I came up with.”