It seems like the former hosts of Top Gear are having trouble getting their new show off the starting grid. A non-compete clause in the contracts of TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson is preventing him, along with co-hosts Richard Hammond and James May, from making a move over to the BBC's rival network, ITV.
Clarkson's contract with the BBC, which was rumoured to be around £3 million a year, states that he cannot make a new motoring show for a fixed amount of time after his tenure with Top Gear ends. The clause is set to expire in April 2017, which means Clarkson and his crew cannot create an automotive related show on British TV for the next 2 years.
Clarkson was sacked by the network in February after getting into a physical altercation with a producer on the show. Hammond and May, His co-hosts of 12 seasons, along with producer Andy Wilman opted to forego lucrative extensions with the BBC to follow to his new home. The chances of that being ITV are very slim in the wake of this latest revelation.
The worry for the trio now is that by waiting two years, they give the BBC and new Top Gear Host plenty of time to retool Top Gear. A source close to the talks spoke with the Daily Mirror, he had this to say:
"Basically they could make a show for ITV, but not one about cars. A clause stops them leaving and making a rival.
"It means Netflix or Amazon are favourites to sign up the team. There is a feeling that if they wait two years it gives Chris Evans a chance to get his new Top Gear show off and running.
"They hope to make up their minds soon. ITV have made them a great offer."
So what's next for Clarkson, Hammond, and May? Will they end up on the internet like the source predicts?
