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Season 17, Episode 2
The trio travel to Italy to test high-performance hatchbacks. Jeremy Clarkson is in the Citroen DS3 Racing, Richard Hammond champions the Fiat 500C Abarth and James May makes the case for the Renaultsport Clio 200 Cup as they navigate their way round baffling Italian towns and take part in a scavenger hunt, before putting the cars through their paces on the F1 street circuit in Monaco. Also, petrolhead comedian Ross Noble is in the Reasonably Priced Car and the McLaren MP4-12C supercar comes under review
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Leisure Hobbies
Motoring
Cast & Crew
Jeremy Clarkson
(Presenter)
James May
(Presenter)
Richard Hammond
(Presenter)
Ross Noble
(Guest)
Andy Wilman
(Executive producer)
More Information
Did You Know..
Jeremy Clarkson
(Presenter)
Born:
April 11, 1960
in
Doncaster
Best Known For:
Presenting Top Gear.
Early-life:
Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson was born on April 11th, 1960, and claims he could say 'Maserati' before he could say 'mummy'. He was the only son of affluent parents who manufactured Paddington Bear dolls. His passion for cars began as a child, but he admits to losing interest during his teens when he discovered girls and punk rock. Jeremy attended public school for five years, but was expelled shortly before he was due to take his A-levels. His first car was a Ford Cortina.
Career:
Jeremy was employed as a trainee journalist on the Rotherham Advertiser, but he quit while reporting on a local agricultural show because he grew tired of the marrow-growers and Pony Club mums. He joined the family firm as a salesman and moved to London, where he found a new career as a motoring writer. In 1987, he met a Top Gear producer at a car launch and was invited on to the show. He quickly became one of its most popular presenters, but left the programme in 1998 to concentrate on other projects. Other series he has fronted include Speed, Meet The Neighbours and his own chat show, Clarkson. However, he missed talking about cars and returned to a revamped Top Gear, which is now one of the world's most-watched shows.
Quote:
'It's amazing how easily people are upset. When I said that a car snapped knicker elastic at 50 paces, I couldn't believe the furore that was created.'
Trivia:
He lent his vocals to the first Cars movie, and the Forza 5 video game.
James May
(Presenter)
Born:
January 16, 1963
in
Bristol
Best Known For:
Being Captain Slow on Top Gear.
Early-life:
James Daniel May was born on January 16, 1963, in Bristol. He has a brother and two sisters. He attended school in Rotherham with Life on Mars star Dean Andrews before heading to Lancaster University to study music. After graduating, May made ends meet in a series of jobs, including working in a hospital. During a stint with an engineering company, he produced a leaflet and liked what it involved, so applied for a job as a magazine sub-editor. He then worked for Autocar, but was fired after inserting a 'secret' message in the text.
Career:
May's TV career began in 1998 with the Channel 4 series Driven, which ran for four years. In 1999, he landed a presenting role on BBC's Top Gear before it was axed due to low ratings. He rejoined the revamped version of the show in its second series. Other projects for the BBC have included Oz and James's Big Wine Adventure, James May's 20th Century, James May's Big Ideas, James May's Man Lab, and James May's Toy Stories.
Quote:
On his sex-symbol status: 'Perhaps they look at me in the way that I might look at a slightly tacky Jaguar XJS, and think 'that's potentially not bad, maybe I could improve that'.'
Trivia:
Away from TV, he has written columns for several publications and penned the books May on Motors and Notes from the Hard Shoulder.
Richard Hammond
(Presenter)
Born:
December 19, 1969
in
Solihull
Best Known For:
Co-hosting Top Gear, alongside Jeremy Clarkson and James May.
Early-life:
Richard Mark Hammond was born in Birmingham on December 19, 1969. His mum Eileen, father Alan and younger brothers Andrew and Nicholas moved to Ripon where his father ran a probate business. After attending Harrogate College of Art and Technology, Richard decided not to pursue a degree and instead took a series of part-time jobs, including working behind the bar of a pub and being a 'chicken chaser' at a local farm.
Career:
His broadcasting career began on local radio, before he got his big TV break hosting a number of daytime shows on Men & Motors. In 2002, he landed a slot on BBC's Top Gear, where he was given the nickname Hamster. Other series Richard has presented include Crufts, the British Parking Awards, Should I Worry About…?, The Gunpowder Plot: Exploding the Legend, Time Commanders, and Sky One's Brainac: Science Abuse. He was also a team captain on the quiz show Petrolheads and narrated the BBC series Last Man Standing. In recent years, he has started presenting serious documentaries on such subjects as warfare and engineering, and secured a world exclusive interview with his hero, Evel Knievel. He is the current face of the rather silly but very enjoyable Total Wipeout.
Quote:
On his Top Gear colleagues: 'Of course we get on - the show wouldn't work if we didn't get on. The arguments you see on-screen are for real and often carry on off-screen as well.'
Trivia:
He has published books on motoring and science.
Ross Noble
(Guest)
Born:
June 05, 1976
in
Cramlington, Northumberland
Best Known For:
His hugely popular and very random stand-up tours
Early-life:
Noble is originally from Cramlington, near Newcastle. 'The ultimate in dullness' helped him with his career - he found little to do in his hometown so he became particularly imaginative. He joined a clown troupe and sold balloons as a stilt-walker, before deciding to become a comedian after winning tickets to a comedy show. Noble has been performing since first appearing in his local comedy club at the age of 15.
Career:
Since starting as a stand-up comedian, Noble has won many awards, including a Time Out award winner in 2000 for his Edinburgh show Chickenmaster, and a Perrier Award nomination in 1999 for another Edinburgh Festival show Laser Boy. He has since achieved great popularity in both the UK and Australia, where he has toured extensively every year since 2001. Noble's 2003 show Unrealtime was the best-selling show at the Edinburgh Fringe. His annual DVDs and tours are always hugely well received.
Quote:
'It always ends up with a chinchilla on a bicycle. That's just my mind.'
Trivia:
In a poll for Channel 4, Noble was voted the 10th on a list of the 100 Greatest Stand Ups.
Andy Wilman
(Executive producer)
