The one Top Gear controversy that Jeremy Clarkson actually regrets

Jeremy Clarkson has stirred up all sorts of controversies in the past – but he’s now revealed the one Top Gear scandal that he actually regrets.

Speaking to the Radio Times, Jeremy admitted that he went too far in 2011 when he said that Mexican cars would share the national characteristics and be “lazy, feckless, flatulent, overweight, leaning against a fence asleep looking at a cactus with a blanket with a hole in the middle on as a coat”.

He was backed up by James May, who described Mexican food as “like sick with cheese on it”.

But it seems that Jeremy feels genuine remorse for his comments, admitting that he personally went to see the Mexican ambassador to apologise.

“Genuinely, if I look back at all the Top Gear Wikipedia section marked ‘controversy’, then Mexico is the one where we definitely got it wrong,” he said.

“I went to see the Mexican ambassador and apologised to him. I didn’t have to, the Beeb didn’t tell me to, but it was out of order.”

Clarkson continued: “If you’re writing thousands and thousands of words and doing hours and hours of television, then occasionally you will tread on a land mine.”

And it seems that everyone’s on good terms again now – thanks to that classic healer, booze.

“We went down and said we were really sorry and got absolutely paralytic on tequila with him,” Jeremy said. “That was a good day.”