Ten controversial Top Gear moments

Richard Hammond may have recently defended 'Top Gear', claiming that he and co-hosts Jeremy Clarkson and James May are "very proud that it appeals to a broad bunch of people", but don’t the trio sometimes go too far? The flagship BBC motoring show is no stranger to controversy, despite being a huge ratings success. It has sparked complaints from viewers on numerous occasions mainly because of remarks made by its presenters during the show. We take a look back at some of the most criticised 'Top Gear' moments…

Hammond's Mexican remarks (2011)
An episode still fresh in our memories. Mexico's ambassador in London branded the show "offensive, xenophobic and humiliating" after Hammond compared Mexican people to their cars. He said on the show: "Mexican cars are just going to be lazy, feckless, flatulent, overweight, leaning against a fence asleep looking at a cactus with a blanket with a hole in the middle on as a coat." The BBC was forced to apologise to Mexico after its ambassador Eduardo Medina Mora lodged an official complaint against ‘Top Gear’.

The Stig 'shot' (2010)
We all now know who 'Top Gear's former masked driver is, as last year's Stig was revealed as Ben Collins following a court battle. Angry that the mystery test driver was allowed to unveil his identity, the show's presenters decided to take revenge on him in a rather unexpected way – they pretended to kill him in an episode that divided opinions last December. Media watchdog Ofcom received complaints shortly after the show went out.

Burka row (2010)
Outspoken presenter Jeremy Clarkson sparked a wave of complaints after suggesting that he'd seen a woman wearing a g-string and stockings under her burka. He said on the show: "The burka doesn't work. I was in a cab in Piccadilly the other day when a woman in a full burka crossing the road in front of me tripped over the pavement, went head over heels and up it came, red G-string and stockings. I promise that happened. The taxi driver will back me up on that.” Not only did the Muslim Women's Network UK criticise him, some viewers also complained to the BBC.

Complaints over Polish joke (2009)
Ofcom and the BBC received complaints after a spoof advert showing a German-made car invading Poland was featured on the programme. The clip, influenced by the Second World War, saw Polish people panicking and fleeing Warsaw. It featured the line “Volkswagen Scirocco TDI. Berlin to Warsaw in one tank.” Clarkson defended the video, asking viewers to remember that it was only a joke.

'Murdering prostitutes' (2008)
Another 'Top Gear' episode, another strange remark from Jeremy Clarkson. This time about lorry drivers killing prostitutes. Clarkson said on the programme, while completing a lorry-driving task: "This is a hard job and I'm not just saying that to win favour with lorry drivers, it's a hard job. Change gear, change gear, change gear, check mirror, murder a prostitute, change gear, change gear, murder. That's a lot of effort in a day." A BBC spokesperson commented at the time, "The vast majority of 'Top Gear' viewers have clear expectations of Jeremy Clarkson's long-established and frequently provocative on-screen persona. This particular reference was used to comically exaggerate and make ridiculous an unfair urban myth about the world of lorry driving, and was not intended to cause offence."

Top Gear 'train crash' (2007)
The motoring show came under fire again after screening a fake train crash only days after a fatal derailment. A spokesman for the BBC justified 'Top Gear's choice to show the mock crash by saying: "We did think about it and that is why we decided to make an announcement before the programme to alert viewers to the fact there was an item about rail safety." It didn't stop some viewers from sending complaints to the broadcaster...

Dead cow stunt (2007)
'Top Gear' angered more viewers when it featured a stunt involving a dead cow strapped to the roof of Jeremy Clarkson's car. The animal fell off the vehicle after the presenter moved it. Jan Creamer, chief executive of Animal Defenders International, said at the time: "In this case, it is not a matter of whether the animals suffered for the programme, but the fact that 'Top Gear' is making light of an activity that is so demeaning to animals."

'Are you mental?' (2007)
The BBC had to apologise to brain injury sufferers after a comment made by Jeremy Clarkson to Richard Hammond didn't go down too well. Clarkson asked his co-host, who was at the time recovering from a car crash where he suffered brain damage, "Are you mental?". Brain injury charity Headway, which was inundated with complaints, branded Clarkson's remark 'insensitive'.

Clarkson's gay jibe (2006)
Yes – Clarkson again. The presenter was criticised by Ofcom in 2006 for describing a car featured on the show as "a bit ginger beer", rhyming slang for “queer”. He went on to say the car was “a bit gay”. The media watchdog commented: “There was no justification for using the word in this way.”

Top Gear's 'Nazi salute' (2005)
Giving a Nazi salute on a TV programme isn't a good idea, Jeremy. The host raised his arm Nazi-style while talking about a new version of the German-made Mini before making strange remarks about WWII. Unsurprisingly, Germany wasn't too pleased...

Do you think that the complaints are justified? Or should 'Top Gear' stay as it is, as most viewers know what to expect when they tune into the show?...