Jeremy Clarkson has recalled being accused of racism over the name he gave his dog, an incident that followed him for years. He named the dog after a Chelsea football legend and says the reaction at the time was wildly overblown.
In a recent newspaper column, Clarkson said he was reprimanded by the broadcaster for what he saw as a harmless choice. He claimed he was treated like “the ultimate bad boy”, when in his view he was really just a “naughty scallywag”.
Clarkson said this was happening while far more serious figures were still working there at the time. He wrote: “Savile and Harris and Edwards were going about their business while I was being reprimanded for calling my new dog Didier Dogba. And it just keeps getting worse”.
The backlash first erupted in 2014, a year before he left Top Gear, after people objected to the name of his new black dog. The dog was named Didier Dogba, a play on the name of Chelsea star Didier Drogba.
At the time, Clarkson defended himself online, asking: “Why is it racist to name our amazingly brilliant dog after a footballer?” The broadcaster investigated the matter as part of an internal review into the culture surrounding Top Gear.
This is the latest addition to the pack. He's called Didier Dogba. pic.twitter.com/IzmtpCuy9s
— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) April 21, 2014
A senior executive later confirmed Clarkson was not racist, but the damage had already been done. Reflecting on his 2015 exit after a clash with a producer, he said: “Number one, since they ‘let me go’, my life has improved immeasurably and number two, when I look at what’s happened to them since, I can’t help feeling just a tiny bit smug”.
After leaving the show, Clarkson and co hosts Richard Hammond and James May moved on to The Grand Tour on Prime Video. Top Gear later ended following a serious on set crash involving Freddie Flintoff during filming.
