Will Young is planning on reporting The Grand Tour to Ofcom after accusing the Amazon Prime series of featuring alleged “homophobic” content.
The singer reached out to the streaming service after becoming ‘fed up“ with the motoring show, which is hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, for jokes at the expense of the gay community.
Young highlighted an instance in the show’s latest episode that saw the presenters driving through Colombia. Referencing Clarkson’s Jeep, Hammond suggests the vehicle is for gay people and, later, it is shown with a pink roof.
“Isn’t that a very popular car with the gay community?” Hammond asks, before suggesting Clarkson should update his outfit and grooming habits.
Having failed to hear back from Amazon Prime, a “repulsed” Young – who is gay – posted a message to Twitter stating he was going to contact the industry regulator Ofcom instead.
“Enough is enough and I’m p***ed and fed up,” he wrote. “I want Amazon Prime and the producers of The Grand Tour to meet young LGBT who want to kill themselves because of shaming and laughter and normalising of shaming homophobic narratives.”
Young added: “I DON’T drive a Wrangler Jeep. I DON’T wear pink shirts. I DON’T wear arseless chaps. You can be honest and funny without this ridiculous ‘lad’ ooh being gay and let’s laugh about it mentality. It’s repulsive and how DARE you do it.”
"It’s f***ing pathetic and actually homophobic," he added. "I mean being gay is just SO funny for those type of straight men."
After being told by another Twitter user that the trio’s “homophobic jokes have to stop”, Clarkson responded:“ What homophobic jokes?”
Amazon Prime has declined to comment.
Clarkson was dismissed from the BBC in 2015 following a “fracas” with a producer, while his two co-hosts followed him voluntarily.
This is not the first time Clarkson, Hammond and May have been accused of homophobia.
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In a 2016 episode of The Grand Tour, Hammond was condemned for saying he does not eat ice cream because he is “straight”.
Clarkson was criticised in 2006 after calling a Daihatsu Copen “a bit gay” on an episode of Top Gear.
