'Top Gear wasn't sexist, it was just painfully honest,' says James May
"It was a view of the world, distorted through the eyes of people who were unreasonably concerned about cars."
Former Top Gear presenter James May has reflected on his stint on the BBC car show, defending the series from criticism levied at it in a new interview.
Speaking to The Telegraph, May said: "Top Gear was very much of its time. Social attitudes towards the car have changed quite a bit. These days, it’s become more political."
May said the show was not "sexist or misogynistic" after some viewers accused it of being so in the days of May hosting the series with Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond.
"It was just painfully honest," May continued: "It was a view of the world, distorted through the eyes of people who were unreasonably concerned about cars."
May admitted that Clarkson's habit of making controversial statements on the show was part of his role, saying: "I didn’t wince about Clarkson being controversial because it’s his job to be an arse and he is very good at it.
"I’d wince at him not misunderstanding some basic principle of aerodynamics. I’d think, 'How can you not know that?'"
May presented Top Gear alongside Clarkson and Hammond from 2003 to 2015, with the trio going on to helm the Prime Video spin-off series The Grand Tour, which came to an end last month with its last ever episode, One for the Road.
Read more:
- Jeremy Clarkson says Top Gear wouldn't get made now with "3 middle-aged, middle-class men"
- Freddie Flintoff to host Bullseye reboot in first new series since Top Gear crash
Following Freddie Flintoff's accident, the BBC suspended filming for Top Gear season 34 before announcing it would be resting the Top Gear format "for the foreseeable future".
Similarly reflecting on his own TV journey, Clarkson recently revealed that he doesn't think that the Top Gear of his day would get made today.
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The presenter and columnist for The Sun said: "It wouldn’t get commissioned now in a million years. Monkey tennis would be more likely to be commissioned than this, I think."
He went on: "It would be so difficult — three middle-aged, middle-class guys, driving cars around in other countries, I think they’d probably say no."
As for now, May is presenting another of his own series, James May and The Dull Men’s Club, a new show for Quest in which he explores stereotypically male hobbies and roles.
James May and The Dull Men’s Club is launching on Tuesday 5th November at 9pm on Quest, and will be available to stream on discovery+.
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Authors
Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.
