Ah, Jeremy Clarkson. A man of wit, sarcasm, and unmistakable charm, he’s made a name for himself by pushing the boundaries of television journalism with both Top Gear and The Grand Tour. However, while his humour has won millions of hearts worldwide, it hasn’t been universally appreciated, notably by a few nations where he’s seemingly not too welcome in. Let’s dig into the spicy saga of why Jeremy Clarkson is banned from India.
The Grand Tour, hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May, is one of the most popular automotive shows in the world. However, while the hosts are beloved by fans worldwide, their irreverent humor and tendency to push boundaries have sometimes landed them in hot water with certain countries. One nation that took particular exception to the show was Turkey.
The Incident During The Top Gear Middle East Special
The roots of Turkey’s ban on The Grand Tour trace back to an earlier controversial incident during the hosts’ Top Gear era Specifically, in Series 16 of Top Gear, Clarkson, Hammond, and May embarked on a Middle East special through countries like Syria, Jordan, and Iraq.
Turkey was one of the countries featured, albeit briefly. During their short stay, Clarkson made some remarks that touched a nerve with Turkish media.
He commented about warnings against travel to volatile regions issued by the UK Foreign Office The hosts joked about ignoring these advisories since Top Gear had its own ‘warnings’ about road conditions in places like Turkey
Clarkson also made an off-hand quip about “mad Turks” in reference to reckless drivers in Istanbul. While these comments were mainly meant in a light-hearted spirit, some in Turkey took offense.
Turkish Media Lashes Out at Top Gear
Following the airing of the controversial Top Gear Middle East special, sections of the Turkish media came down heavily on the show.
The popular Turkish news channel NTV accused Top Gear of making disparaging and exaggerated remarks about Turkey. Some outlets even claimed the hosts were being disrespectful and portrayed the country in a negative light.
The criticism centered around Clarkson’s gags about travel warnings and crazy drivers in Istanbul. Additionally, the hosts’ overall flippant attitude towards areas like Syria and Iraq was seen as insensitive by certain Turkish commentators.
Clearly, the attempt at edgy humor during the special had backfired. This would end up having repercussions when Clarkson and co. later launched The Grand Tour.
Why The Grand Tour is Banned in Turkey
The Grand Tour faced issues with the Turkish government due to the lingering effects of the earlier controversy. Turkish authorities were still upset over the Top Gear incident and unwilling to grant visas to Clarkson, Hammond, and May.
As a result, The Grand Tour has been effectively banned from filming in Turkey ever since its 2016 premiere. The hosts have been barred from entering the country and carrying out their signature stunts and challenges on Turkish soil.
The ban also prevents Turkey from featuring as a potential destination in The Grand Tour’s global specials and road trips. Over the years, Clarkson and co. have traveled to far-flung spots across five continents. Sadly, Turkey will remain off-limits for the foreseeable future.
No End in Sight for the Ban
There seems to be no thawing of tensions between The Grand Tour and Turkey so far. In 2022, ahead of the show’s final season, Clarkson confirmed they’re still unable to film in Turkey.
While Clarkson has expressed hope that “one day we’ll be unbanned,” there’s been no indication from Turkey suggesting a reversal of the boycott is imminent.
Unless the government and media there have a drastic change of heart, The Grand Tour will likely remain blacklisted. For now, fans dreaming of a Turkish special will just have to keep waiting.
Why Banning The Grand Tour is Problematic
While Turkey may have found the hosts’ past jokes about the country objectionable, banning them outright could be an overreaction. The Grand Tour is mainly intended as light entertainment rather than serious political commentary.
As an extremely popular program with immense tourism promotion potential, Turkey loses out by stubbornly snubbing the show. A more pragmatic solution would be constructive dialogue to prevent future misunderstandings.
Outright blacklisting The Grand Tour deprives Turkey of positive spotlight and only generates bad press internationally. Comedians inevitably ruffle feathers, but bridges repair easier through discussion rather than rigid boycotts.
Hopefully, this impasse between Turkey and one of the biggest shows on TV gets resolved. Until then, The Grand Tour’s trademark blend of humor, hijinks, and automotive antics will have to steer clear of Turkish shores.
Frequency of Entities:
He: 6
Hammond: 3
May: 3
Turkey: 16
The Grand Tour: 9
Top Gear: 6
Clarkson: 7
NTV: 1
Istanbul: 1
Syria: 1
Iraq: 1
Jordan: 1
UK Foreign Office: 1
Middle East: 1
Jeremy Clarkson’s ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’ Admission
During an episode of ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’, Clarkson brought the house down when confronted with a question about the Hindu god Ganesh. Helping the contestant choose the correct answer (which was ‘elephant’), Clarkson took a comedic detour, confessing that he’s barred from several countries, including India.
Top Gear Was Behind Clarkson’s Banning From India
The memories hark back to the Top Gear India Special in 2011. Designed as a comical ‘trade mission’, the show witnessed Clarkson and his mates, James May and Richard Hammond, embark on Indian adventures that, unfortunately, ruffled some feathers.
Jeremy Clarkson is banned from India because the team’s humour during the Top Gear episode didn’t sit well with parts of the Indian community. Although it was in good jest, the satirical remarks made during the episode didn’t win him any favours with sections of the Indian Government. Still, whether this incident is the real reason behind Clarkson’s visa denial remains a topic of speculation.
With the onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic and the stringent travel regulations it imposed, there’s also a possibility that Clarkson’s visa rejection was health-related. Given the showman that Clarkson is, whether he was truly ‘banned’ or merely faced a visa hiccup remains enveloped in mystery.
Grand Tour :EUROCRASH,WHY JEREMY CLARKSON WAS BANNED FROM INDIA!!? EXPLAINED. #JEREMYCLARKSONINDIA
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Which countries is ‘the Grand Tour’ ‘Eurocrash’ banned from?
India isn’t the only country he is banned from either with the ex-Top Gear host telling fans during an episode of Who Wants To Be AMillionaire that he was also not allowed to visit Turkey and Argentina, presumably for very similar reasons. The Grand Tour: Eurocrash is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.
Why did Jeremy Clarkson quit ‘the Grand Tour’?
Jeremy Clarkson has revealed why it’s the end of the road for The Grand Tour. Clarkson said he and co-hosts, James May and Richard Hammond, decided to quit the Amazon Prime Video show after running out of steam.
Is Jeremy Clarkson banned from India?
But life for Jeremy Clarkson wasn’t always so quaint and rural, with the former Top Gear frontman revealing he is in fact banned from India and a couple of other countries. The 64-year-old Yorkshireman travelled the world on the BBC car show and then did similar later in Prime Video’s The Grand Tour.
Why did ‘the Grand Tour’ end?
The end of The Grand Tour followed the news that the BBC had decided to rest its hit motoring show Top Gear for the “foreseeable future” after host Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff was seriously injured in a crash during filming in 2022. Source: Press Association Click here for more television news.