Jeremy Clarkson has taken a savage swipe at James May’s presenting style.
Writing about the over-professionalism of modern sport in his latest column for The Times, Clarkson, 65, argued that things have become too polished to be entertaining.
“What I’m saying here is that in all professional sport, the competitors train so hard and become so good that they aren’t desperately interesting to watch any more,” he wrote. “We need differences. We need mistakes. We need Eddie the Eagle.”
Clarkson claimed amateur sport is often far more enjoyable to watch — not because it’s skilful, but because it’s unpredictable and chaotic. That’s when he delivered a brutal punchline aimed squarely at 62-year-old May- who is known for his slow and technical presenting style.
Reflecting on the monotony of amateur marathon running, he said: “It’s possibly the most boring thing to watch since 2006, when James May explained torque. I’d rather watch milk go off.”
The two presenters, alongside Richard Hammond, made up the iconic Top Gear trio for over a decade before moving on to Amazon’s The Grand Tour.
Their on-screen chemistry was built on a balance of personalities: Clarkson the outspoken showman, May the meticulous detail man, and Hammond somewhere in the middle.
May, nicknamed “Captain Slow” by Clarkson, became known for his careful, slow-paced explanations of technical topics.
Since their car show days, May has veered into travel presenting, fronting his own solo series Our Man In…, which sees him exploring countries like Japan and India at a more reflective pace.
Clarkson has meanwhile become a farmer and launched Hawkstone Lager — a venture May mocked as “for people who think Stella is too posh.” In return, Clarkson branded May’s craft IPA “pretentious dishwater.”
His latest jab is classic Clarkson: dry, barbed, and delivered with the confidence of someone who’s been ribbing May for two decades.
While it’s likely to be taken in good humour, the comparison between May’s presenting and watching milk spoil is arguably one of Clarkson’s sharpest yet.
Fans of the duo’s banter will no doubt be waiting to see if May hits back. But if history is anything to go by, this is just the latest round in a long-running and much-loved war of words.
