Jeremy Clarkson returns to the BBC tonight after being dismissed earlier this year for punching a producer on hit motoring show Top Gear.
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The Have I Got News For You appearance will be Clarkson’s first return to the BBC since his departure, and signals the start of the show’s 50th series. For instance, when Osman was trying wind up Clarkson by asking whether he planned to call the new “Top Gear” presenter Chris Evans, Long said: “Go on Jeremy, punch him”.
Unsurprisingly, most of the jokes are focused on his ignominious exit from the show, and his lucrative new job at Amazon Prime.
And the Mail Online reports that, at one point in the programme, Hislop compares Clarkson to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
For his part, Clarkson got in a few jabs of his own. He replied: “Yeah – apart from the pay rise”.
“It’s nice to be back”.
In a video teaser for the upcoming episode of Have I Got News For You, both Ian and Paul can be seen spoofing Strictly Come Dancing but Jeremy is nowhere to be seen.
Clarkson insisted that he was not allowed to speak about motoring matters, saying: “I can’t talk about cars on the BBC”. I can’t say the C word”, before back-tracking: “What are they going to do?
Earlier in the day he had appeared apprehensive as he took a break outside the studio ahead of his grilling on the show, which is the first of the new series.
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Have I Got News For You stalwarts Paul Merton and Ian Hislop took turns poking fun at Clarkson, working the “fracas” of his sacking, for lashing out at a producer who failed to provide the presenter with a hot meal, into nearly every punch line.
