BBC defence leaps in to second gear...

My last blog post looked at the UK media’s reaction to the Top Gear Christmas Special 2011 in the aftermath of the show. Despite it being nearly a month since the show was on TV, it appears it’s still managing to hit the headlines. Since my last post, the Indian High Commission lodged a complaint with the BBC that they had been duped in to allowing the show to be filmed in India.
Up until then, the BBC had remained very quiet on the subject but it appears this was one step too far, leading them to release a statement last week in defence of the crew’s antics.

In it, they said the programme showed India for what it is and that all it did was poke fun at the presenters....NOT at Indians: 'Our film showed the charm, the beauty, the wealth, the poverty and the idiosyncrasies of India, but there's a vast difference between showing a country, warts and all, and insulting it....It's simply not the case that we displayed a hostile or superior attitude to our hosts.' As a long time resident of this beautiful country, with many friends here, I couldn’t agree more.

However, this is something which seems to have been lost on the viewing public. The crew themselves even acknowledged this at the end of the show, saying the cars were better ambassadors than they were. Yet again, it seems people need reminding that the show wasn’t trying to be something it wasn’t. Regardless of this, it was also announced last week that Top Gear was the most watched show on BBC iPlayer not only over Christmas, but the whole of December; with viewing figures pushing 5 million, it’s still an immensely popular show and it seems a shame that the enjoyment of these people is tainted by a few hundred complaints which have been picked up and whipped in to a media storm. Us Brits have always been quick to complain......!

From my perspective, it’s a shame that such a positive (if not stressful!) experience has been misconstrued in this way. It was such a fun show to film and, at the end of the day, the shoot was received extremely well by the Indian locals. The reaction the show has received is a real shame as it feels some people are being very quick to judge what was an unforgettable time for me and my company. There was no hostility or bad feeling so why has this now overshadowed the programme? Even local Indian newspapers, such as The Herald, printed stories about the BBC press statement – would they have done that if they were really offended by the show?

So, for just one moment, let’s forget all the negativity and celebrate what is still a British institution. Visit our Facebook page to see some behind the scenes photos from filming and follow us on Twitter for more news and views.

My reaction to the Top Gear Christmas Special 2011

I haven’t blogged much of late (bit of an understatement, I know!) and thought there no better time to start up again than with my reaction to the Top Gear Christmas Special. It was aired in the UK on 28th December and it seems it got everyone talking! The show pulled in a staggering 5 million viewers, making it a real success in the Christmas ratings war.


As a lot of you know, I was approached by Top Gear to be a ‘fixer’ for the show because of my in depth knowledge of India (more on this to follow in later posts). This meant I helped to pull the show together behind the scenes and it was a great honour to be asked.
However, it would seem opinion was split on the show itself. Once it aired, there was a barrage of negative reviews in the UK media...and the fallout is still continuing. As I had the pleasure of working on the show, I felt it deserved the reaction of someone from behind the scenes. I’m not here to defend Top Gear against all those who didn’t enjoy the show but I felt I had to let people know what it was like to film because, trust me, it was a very different experience than what you saw on screen.

The Top Gear cast is renowned for their sense of humour and love of controversy and this Christmas Special is no exception. My main recollection of the show was one of laughter – not derision. If I could say anything, it was that people had FUN on the shoot and I feel this has been lost slightly on the viewing public.


I love India and have lived and worked here now for many years; a lot of my friends, colleagues and staff are Indian and some were present on the shoot itself so if anyone is best placed to comment on the show’s racism, it would be them. However, I’ve yet to come across anyone who took the show badly; in fact, it was the opposite. People queued to witness the shoot in progress and there was real excitement around it. Know the phrase ‘Mad dogs and Englishman’? The Top Gear trio bemused its Indian audience - but in a good way! - and it’s unfortunate that some of the activities from the show were taken out of this context.


It may not have been to everyone’s tastes and some may have even thought the show derogatory but I do wonder why we can only latch on to the negative. As the guys themselves said, the cars were better ambassadors than they were and the show was not trying to be something it was not. Also, you have to counter this with events in the show such as exhaust pipe cricket and the vehicle race, which drew large crowds all wanting to be involved; parts of the show such as this made me extremely glad to be a part of a great British institution....my staff were even working overtime just to be involved; not the actions of people who were taking offense!


Also think of the times during the show which showcased the real India and reminded me why I now live in this wonderful country. Richard Hammond, for example, called it ‘The kind of [landscape] which stays with you forever’ and I have to agree.


It’s a hot topic and one we all have an opinion on. As someone who got to know the cast and crew, this once in a lifetime experience was unforgettable for all the right reasons and I am proud of the involvement I had in its production.