Amazon’s Conrad Riggs has branded the BBC’s decision to drop Jeremy Clarkson as ‘the dumbest thing’ a broadcaster has ever done.
Mr. Riggs, who is head of Amazon’s unscripted shows – including The Grand Tour – said: “I thought it was the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen a network do. It was a great opportunity for us. He’s a global star.”
The American executive also thinks the BBC failed to understand what an exceptional talent Clarkson is.
“I think it was a function of the lack of understanding of the impact that he could have going forward,” he said. “Top Gear is about Jeremy. It’s like you can’t produce The Oprah Winfrey Show without Oprah. The show is really not about the format. It’s about him and James and Richard. They could probably do a show about cooking, and it would probably be successful as well.”
The BBC allowed Clarkson’s contract to lapse back in April 2015, after he punched a Top Gear producer in a row over a steak.