Jeremy Clarkson has spoken out in defence of the £1 million pay check he is estimated to have received per Top Gear series back when he was presenting the show for the BBC.
‘You get that for your entire life being taken over,’ Clarkson, who was recently voted the best Top Gear presenter of all time by fans, told The Times this week.
‘So when you look at all those BBC salaries that are published, you think, “You get that for an hour’s work.” No, you don’t. You get that for your entire life being taken over by, “Selfie! Selfie! Photo! Photo! Photo!” Somebody has to pay for that.’
The 59-year-old Top Gear-turned-The Grand Tour star was the BBC’s highest paid star and his co-presenters, Richard Hammond and James May, also cashed in on the automobile show’s success.
So what is James May, Richard Hammond and Jeremy Clarkson’s net worth? Here’s how the car enthusiasts compare…
Jeremy Clarkson’s net worth
After making his millions becoming a household name on Top Gear, Clarkson went on to sign a reported £160 million deal to launch The Grand Tour with Amazon Prime.
As well as appearing on The Grand Tour alongside Hammond and May, the Doncaster-born star also now hosts the ITV show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, which was previously fronted by Chris Tarrant, 72.
Thanks to his lucrative TV contracts, presenting gigs and multitude of books amongst other ventures, the presenter’s net worth is estimated to be about £46 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth – which is substantially more than his former Top Gear co-stars.
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James May’s net worth
A former journalist turned TV star, 56-year-old James has presented a number of documentaries and TV specials for both the BBC and ITV, but is best known for appearing alongside Clarkson and Hammond on Top Gear.
He has recently returned back to the UK after shooting a solo series Our Man In… Japan for Amazon Prime.
May’s net worth is estimated to be about £20.6 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. That’s more than 50% less than Jeremy’s.
Richard Hammond’s net worth
The third co-star for the Top Gear and Grand Tour trio, Warwickshire-born Hammond, is also set to host a show of his own soon titled Hammond’s Big. His new solo series will follow the host as he delves into various impressive feats of engineering.
The 49-year-old’s new show will air on Discovery, but his solo project doesn’t mean The Grand Tour is over. Filming for the next series kicked off last month in Vietnam and Cambodia.
Hammond’s net worth is estimated at £28.9 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, meaning he sits in-between May and Clarkson.
The Grand Tour season 4 will air on Amazon Prime in 2020.
MORE: Jeremy Clarkson returns home from epic first shoot of The Grand Tour season 4