James May to BBC – “Sod off”
July 7, 2008 by Karl Peskett
*Update* Video added to end of article
It’s been a while since the episode went to air, but last week, James May lashed out at the BBC Trust’s editorial standards committee’s criticism for drinking while driving in Top Gear’s “Polar Special”.
In the episode, May and co-host Jeremy Clarkson are seen sipping gin and tonic while driving their highly modified Toyota Hilux. But apparently some viewers took offence to the scene, and complained to the BBC.
The BBC Trust committee labelled the act as ‘grossly irresponsible’. But May hit out, saying that the pair were not on roads covered by law.
‘When I saw the ruling in the paper, I thought ‘you can sod off’, said May. ‘We were in the middle of nowhere – literally in the middle of the sea – and we were neither in any danger, nor posed any danger to anyone or anything for hundreds of miles.’
‘It’s bloody hard work driving to the Pole, and having a nice gin and tonic was something we totally deserved. We weren’t drunk – we were merely having a drink. It wasn’t like we set out to deliberately cause controversy.’
CarAdvice would like to know what you think. Were you offended? And was it irresponsible?
Here is the segment in question:
Source: This is London
Print it: 
this is crap, james is completely right. sure drink driving is the antichrist if you believe any of the govermnets but they can go suck on it. it wasnt against the law, they put no one in danger and most fo all they deserved it. i say we need more bending of the rules when it comes to tv. and just because 3 40 year old women from toorak or chelsea in this case find it distasteful doesnt mean the general population hated it. the world needs to grow up and stop listening to extremist minorities.
This is just ridiculous. They were in international waters. They were not on any roads and posed no danger to anyone. And they probably had one drink which wouldn’t get them drunk. What they did was completely legal and people are just looking for a way to try and get Top Gear axed because they don’t like cars.
Of course it wasn’t offensive. This is either more stupid idiocy from bureaucrats or more publicity stunts from Top Gear.
I love top Top Gear, but recognise it as entertainment. Would people complain if a movie showed someone drinking and driving? Actually they probably would, but they shouldn’t.
I don’t think it is irresponsible, it is just entertainment, filmed under controlled conditions.
But in this wowzer nanny state we call Australia, you can’t even show a car doing doughnuts in a paddock in an ad on TV. That’s another matter.
NO, NO, NO I beleive it was not irresposible, for 2 reasons, first there were not road rules on the north pole expedition. Secondly, they were not drinking to there hearts content, we only saw them have the one drink atthe start, and maybe once later on. It was well deserved knowing what they were going to b up against. For those people who got affended, I would offer you my advice and not watch the show. It people like them that destroy entertainment at its core.
Of course it isn’t irresponsible….
people who raise this issues is just JEALOUS for no reason or HAVE NOTHING TO DO…..
Cmoonnn Mate Grown up….
VIva TOP GEAR….
They should be ashamed of themselves. I dont care if they were in the middle of the sahara, or on the moon. Driving a car, and consuming alcohol at the same time should never be glorified, or shown on a show like Top Gear, which is viewed by tens of millions of people across the globe.
In reality, they posed no dangner to anyone, but it is a matter of social responsibility, and setting good examples.
that’s exactly why i watch top gear, the do-gooders can switch channels.
“Driving a car, and consuming alcohol at the same time should never be glorified, or shown on a show like Top Gear, which is viewed by tens of millions of people across the globe.” – Ben Dova
Glorified? They didn’t glorify it. They simply drank a Gin & Tonic.
tens of millions? you think so small. it’s estimated a few hundred million watch Top Gear around the world…
There is always one or two idiotic, Mungbean chewing, worry wart, uptight do-gooders that manage to find offence with every little thing no matter how insignificant. Well done James May, sod off indeed.
Im offended some stupid people got offended by the guys having a relaxing drink while driving a heavily modifyed vehicle resembling a Toyota in the middle of a frozen ocean with nothing around for miles. The fact that these people complained will cause rage and should be considered an irresponsible act of terrorrism against the Top Gear institution!
People just like to complain, and want people to listen. Thats the only reason this has become an issue.
It’s funny, because in the episode, Clarkson said something along the lines of “dont write in and complain if you’re offended by this, because there is no law here, we’re not on a road, and we’re just having one gin & tonic”
I agree with May. Sod. Off.
Thoes who have no life will always attempt to be the centre of attention. They will always become more and more fickle no matter what the non-issue.
Anyway, our governments, who know all, tell us repeatedly that speed is the biggest killer, which makes alcohol a minor problem, by definition. since it is a minor problem, it can’t be a major one :)
I’m off to mix a G&T so I can drive my keyboard a bit more recklessly :):):):):
To Ben Dova – while reading your comment I thought you can sod off. They were in the middle of freakin’ nowhere!
I gotta agree with James. SOD OFF IDIOTS!
There were on the international waters.
Ben Dova & Acilk have hit the spot right. Its not about the technicality of drink driving on the highway, its about the social effect of drinking at the wheel and the impression it gives. It was wrong but was it really that bad. Those square norberts who complained probably work as a civil servant for a local authority. Little H1tlers.
TG=flippant,crass,smug,car worshipping,materialistic.
‘Norberts’know there are some impressionables out there that hang on every word uttered & they are dead wrong on many things.
Why take these three clowns seriously?
Fortunately I have a sense of humor.
To all those who want to remain PC, I think Mr May’s words are too light. Help us all when entertainment is sanitised too. The do-gooders can all go and play with themselves – w**KERs. They have done enough harm already.
yeh theres always some idiot that complain about nothing the do gooders are just a few and we have to listern to them stuff them i say majority rule lets round up do gooders and burn them at the stake lol
That show was more fun than anything else and these politically correct feminazis and pussy whipped morons should mind there own businesses and chill out with a shot of wheat grass!!!
Anyone thinking it’s OK to drink and drive just because they saw this episode of Top Gear is too dumb to have a drivers licence anyway!
I’m glad my life isn’t as boring and angry as these small minded cretins that are complaining.
Is it technically illegal to drink while driving a car if one is not over the limit? What are the rules? I know in some parts of America it is illegal to have an open vessel of alcohol in the car, but what are the Australian/British laws?
The irony is that they were drinking and driving expressly to take the piss. So any idiot silly enough to complain is exactly what Top Gear were poking fun at. I think the BBC is smart enough not to respond too seriously to this, but they have to be seen to be doing something by the fools who complained.
If someone decides that it’s ok to drink and drive purely because Clarkson and May did it, clearly they are far too much of an impressionable idiot.
There’s plenty of worse things on our television than this.
Next time you feel like complaining, fly to Zimbabwe and complain to Mugabe. You’d be doing something useful.
Do a search on YouTube for ‘Top Gear Gin and Tonic’ to watch the “offending” clip. ;)
And, the complaint is a load of cobblers too.
What a load of beaucratic garbage. these guys are driving in the middle of nowhere. the concept of a challenge in this enviroment deserves a celebration, bring it on. How many of us have decided to have a nice cold beer after, or during a long trip. We are talking about one drink here and not a night at the Boozer.
It would be irresponsible to do anything these cats do on the show… the way they drive on a track is no way to drive on the road, so who gives a sod how the drive on frozen ocean?
I’m not sure what goes through the minds of the people who make these sorts of complaints. I would describe them as pathetic and they need to find something else to focus their attention on.
Classic scene
It wasn’t offensive to anyone with life above their brainstem.
These people who complain about anything which they feel might misguide others. They need to get their acts together. They are probably into S & M. You know discipline with a big stick. Get a life, this is a bit of humor on a light hearted show. Was James doing anything wrong? No. Next time we go on the farm on a sticking hot day, I’ll remember to leave the light ails at home, I would hate to misguide all the driver-buyers.
Images of Clarkson and co. sideways at speed with smoke billowing from the rear tyres in a high speed drift are glorious, fantastic, soul warming.
Ripping up the tarmac in all sorts of exotic machinery at awesome speeds, pushing these machines to the limit, and often beyond – brilliant!
Even last night they were tearing along in a V10 M5 and an AMG Merc at speeds over 170mph – magnificent!
Sadly even in todays Qld Courier Mail there is an article from a “learned” academic titled “stop the hype stop the carnage”, claiming if car advertising was more responsible the road toll would decline.
Simplistic moron, idiot, fool. Much worse is the fact there are more like him.
Clarkson sums them all up perfectly when he calls them green loving communists.
Long live car culture in all its varied forms!!
Millatime, you’re doing it wrong. ;)
Last night Clarkson was literally blowing the tyres off the new Bentley Brooklands.
Liam – Here in Brisvegas last night the Bentley didn’t get a guernsey, however, Hammond and friends invented a new sport, oval track Winnegago/mobile home racing, which, judging by the laughs, destruction and mayhem, should take off big time here in OZ and grow to rival V8 supercars.
Provided that is, out-of-touch bored academics and mindless un-elected beaurocrats (read communists) don’t intervene and theorise and tell us how bad and terrible we are and we’ll all be killed.
Which, of course, they will.
No, the Bentley wouldn’t have made it to air on SBS yet. But it did make it to air in the UK, Series 11 Episode 3, on Monday morning (our time).
Millatime you can see the latest episode on youtube :D
If I was driving on some freezing polar ice cap I’d want to get a stiff drink inside me to keep warm too. To all you whingers go get a life. The politically correct nazi do-gooders would love to see the gestapo reformed so they can go out in their leather trenchcoats and inflict misery on the rest of us.
Good job top gear yet another classic, cant get enough of these guys LOL. And them stupid critics B*itching about drink driving where drink driving laws dnt even apply, lol what idiots, thats like saying hay that guy should cop a fine for driving AT the speed limit, or hey that guy should cop a fine for Parking in a Parking zone. Dnt they got something else to cry about.
AND do u know what im amazed by, seriously this Has to be the first article/Forum, that i have ever seen on CARADVICE or any other site for that matter, that every single person agreed with the other, and No one has disagreed with another person.
OH and by the way for those who want to watch TOP GEAR SEASON 11 clips visit youtube.
OR visit HESSMO . COM
hessmo . com has every single episode and season of top gear including the latest
“The politically correct nazi do-gooders would love to see the gestapo reformed so they can go out in their leather trenchcoats and inflict misery on the rest of us.” – Stevo the Devo
but leather is politically incorrect nowadays. so trenchcoats made of synthetic materials. we can’t have cows dying…
Good on ya James. Tell the nandy-pandy greeny bureaucratic dip shits where to go!
Damn, the killjoys complained and got the YouTube clip removed as well. :(
We need to take the power back, if we all killed just communist every day for a month the world would be a much better place..
Death to the communistas!!!
Just wait until the aussie version of Top Gear starts. The do gooders will be crying all the way to their grave as soon as a bit of tyre smoke is spotted, lets hope the first epsode has the boys giving lessons on how to drink a G&T while drifting.
Sodd off indeed.
Water Boy I think you are dead right. It won’t be lack of budget or Hold v Forden stories that ensure TG Aus doesn’t work. It will be Harold Scruby and his ilk.
Quoting Stocky
[quote]
Stocky Says:
July 7th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
NO, NO, NO I beleive it was not irresposible, for 2 reasons, first there were not road rules on the north pole expedition. Secondly, they were not drinking to there hearts content, we only saw them have the one drink atthe start, and maybe once later on. It was well deserved knowing what they were going to b up against. For those people who got affended, I would offer you my advice and not watch the show. It people like them that destroy entertainment at its core.
[/quote]
Totally agree, this is just stupid!
I agree entirely – highly irresponsible – anyone driving to the north pole will be encouraged to drink at the wheel.
Any pedestrians walking on the roads near to the vehicles should sue immediately and Mounties should be forced to patrol the area with breathalysers to test other motorists found there.
Most of all the whinging complainers should also be fined as well for excessive Carbon Dioxide production while writing their letters of complaint and for wasting public funds and the CO2 impact of their irresponsible whinging behaviour.
I definitely agree with May, the law is the law. Hence sod off to the BBC and anyone else.
Technily they were sailing and theres no law against drinking and sailing