Jeremy Clarkson's backstage Top Gear Live demands included 20 bottles of wine and Champagne, steak knives and Scrabble
It seems the former host is anything if not specific about his requirements
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Your support makes all the difference.Jeremy Clarkson’s behaviour both on and off the Top Gear camera has seen him fall from one controversy into the next, before he was finally sacked by the BBC last week for punching a show producer in a row over catering arrangements.
And it seems the former host is nothing if not specific about his backstage requirements. An extensive three-page Top Gear Live rider, as leaked by the MailOnline, details exactly what it takes for producers to keep “Prima Donna” Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond satisfied.
The Mariahs of middle-aged middle-England apparently asked for over 20 bottles of wine (Veuve Clicquot Champagne, Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc, alongside his favourite Chateau Leoube rosé). They also required 24 bottles of Peroni, Bombay Sapphire gin with necessary G+T making material, and a fridge or cooler cabinet with “at least” four shelves for the green room of the cancelled shows, which were set to take place in Norway from 29 March.
Tables in the room, preferably filled with green plants, must be covered in linen, and there must be a sofa large enough to seat six people, “one of whom is 6ft 3in and likes to lie down”. It must also include a Sky TV connection, a DVD player, an iPod dock, and a Playstation 3 with two controllers and a copy of Call of Duty.
Feeding Clarkson and co should include “lunch and evening meals and hot snacks, eg pies, jacket potatoes, pasta and prawn cocktail”, alongside jelly babies, minstrels and a cheese board. Healthy options should include chicken Caesar, Nicoise and Greek salads as well as a fruit bowl. Marmite, honey, jam, peanut butter, HP Sauce and balsamic vinegar are also required.
The green room must also be a stone’s throw from a McDonald’s (‘THEY WILL ASK FOR THIS,’ the rider states).
Stranger items on the list include a copy of Scrabble and Pictionary, a coat stand (specifically NOT a rail), hair wax, “nice rubbish bins”, and a can of Dove deodorant for men.
“Jeremy is very into his rosé and very particular about getting exactly the right type of wine.
“He also likes to be driven around in a Range Rover during these events.”
The insider added that it was “fair” to say Clarkson can be “a little bit of a Prima Donna at times”.
The BBC declined to comment.
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