Top Gear in danger
 

http://www.f1technical.net/news/9708

Richard Hammond and James May, two of the three hosts of the immense popular programme 'Top Gear' have demanded more money or they will not sign a new contract. Jeremy Clarkson, who is the third presenter of the car show, earns 1 million pounds a year while Hammond and May only get 15.000 pounds per episode.
Although the 11th season of the show has already been taped, May and Hammond refuse to sign a contract as long as there is such a huge difference in wages between the trio.

wtf? 15 pounds per episode? I highly doubt it

Whatever. Like Hammond and May have producers knocking down their doors to be in movies or other shows. Spare me. Enjoy your fame, quit being greedy, and shut up about it.

15k pounds

"I'm already getting a BUNCH of money, I WANT MOREEEE!"

I hate people.

How much is 15k pounds in dollars?

ohhhh 15,000 comma damn it, not a fucking period...........

anyhowwww

15k per episode? wtf.......thats like 150k pound per year......thats like 200k $ per year...........you're gay

outside the United States, they use a period where we use a comma, and a comma where we use a period.

Around $30,000 per episode...

i guess they want more money for gas :P

Nooooo! Top Gear has to go on, the other two are probably just mad that Clarkson gets more haha.

Nah, it is not in much danger, they just negotiating. Yea, in some countries periods are used instead of commas for separation of digits, surprised you have never seen it before. Exchange rate is around 2 dollars for one pound.

From finalgear:


Just for the record, Richard and James’s contracts are up soon - no big deal, contracts do end - and their agents are negotiating new ones.

They want an amount, the BBC wants to pay a different amount - again, no surprises there, that’s how business works every minute of every day - and there’ll be horse trading until a number is reached.

But let me also say Richard and James have never ever ever asked to be on equal pay to Jeremy. They are the first to admit that he came up with the new show, and that he does nothing but this show and is the engine room of it, whereas they, quite understandably, like to do other projects as well as Top Gear, and therefore the pay should reflect that.

More debunking of panicky rumors.
http://www.topgear.com/blogs/planett...2-tgtv-update/

I believe they deserve a pay raise, with clarkson making the money he is it is only right to pay hammond and may what he thinks they deserve. They are a vital part of the show.

Jeremy Clarkson IS Top Gear....the show is not only popular for their in depth review of cars;anyone can review a car,but because of the immense amounts of sarcasm and humor contributed by Jeremy. This show wouldn't be half as entertaining without him.

I hope they pay them. That show is fantastic :)

+1


If they don't want to pay them more, they can take a chance w/out them.

Top Gear would not be the same, and probably would be worse, however.

Top Gear is not Clarkston, alone. May and Hammond play perfect parallels to Clarkston and elevate the show.


...

+1. each review is composed of the driving, comments, stig, and back and forth discussion between them. Sometimes it's both taking opposing sides of the argument. I'll admit, clarkson does seem to play a larger role, they're also quite important to the show, and the show would suffer a fair amount if they lost them.

God I love Top Gear....the only British show worth a damn in my opinion. May and Hammond do make the show better....I couldn't imagine a top gear without all three of them.

Looks like the hamster still hasn't fully recovered from that blow to the head.

As the show becomes more popular, why not ask for more money. It would be one thing to ask for more if it wasn't doing so well, but they're doing well so go for it. Jeremy is great, but he works better when the whole group is together. Its the bickering and playing off each other that works best for me.

Quiet, Jeremy. You're not fooling anyone, you know.

The problem is the differance in pay...

To be fair if the show has 3 host, it's only fair they have comparable pay.