Jeremy Clarkson blames friendship with David Cameron as reason he has never won a Bafta

Prime Minister David Cameron meets Jeremy Clarkson during an EU-related visit to W. Chump & Sons Ltd TV studio in west London.
Jeremy Clarkson blames former PM David Cameron for messing up his Bafta chances. (PA) (PA)

Jeremy Clarkson has blamed his friendship with former prime minister David Cameron as the reason he has never won a Bafta award.

The 61-year-old former Top Gear presenter is a known member of the 'Chipping Norton set' - a group of media and political figures who all live around the wealthy market town of Chipping Norton in the Cotswolds in Oxfordshire.

Clarkson told the Guardian: "I’m more annoyed I’ve never won a Bafta. I’ve done some bloody good shows over the years: a good one on Brunel and some military documentaries.

"You’d think the Bafta committee might think, ‘We should at least nominate him. Drag him to London to disappoint him.’ But as soon as the newspapers say, ‘Jeremy Clarkson, friend of David Cameron’, that’s it: ‘He’s not having a Bafta.’”

BBC car show Top Gear has been nominated for a TV Bafta four times while Clarkson was at the helm.

In 2006 he himself was nominated for Best Entertainment Performance for Top Gear at the TV Baftas, but lost out to Jonathan Ross.

FILE PICTURE - Jeremy Clarkson outside his Diddly Squat farm shop in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. 22 February 2020.   See SWNS story SWSYclarkson. Jeremy Clarkson's Farm has been
Jeremy Clarkson outside his Diddly Squat farm shop in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. (PA) (Tom Wren / SWNS)

Clarkson recently won the Flying the Flag for British Agriculture at the British Farming Awards.

The TV presenter and journalist bought the country estate in Chadlington, near Chipping Norton, in 2008 and this year shone a spotlight on it in his Amazon Prime show Clarkson's Farm.

Asked if he thinks he could win an OBE for his contribution to British agriculture he said: “I can’t imagine in a million years that the honours committee are going to go, ‘Right, everyone, he’s just the man.’ Come on. Go through the cuttings. You’ll quickly discover I’m not.”

Clarkson was suspended by the BBC in 2015 after he punched Top Gear producer Oisin Tymon in an argument over food while filming on location.

He and co-presenters James May and Richard Hammond left the show and signed a deal with Amazon Prime to host a new car show The Grand Tour instead.

Watch: Jeremy Clarkson blasted the government at the Farming Awards

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