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Post by RedMoon11 on Oct 10, 2014 11:39:40 GMT
Top Gear Falklands row: James May insists show would never "mock people about their war casualties"
Oct 10, 2014 12:30 By Rob Leigh May said he had not even noticed the H982 FKL plate until it was mentioned online Top Gear presenter James May has insisted the show would never "mock people about their war casualties". The BBC car show's crew had to leave Argentina during filming after it emerged they were using a Porsche with the registration number H982 FKL, which was interpreted as referring to the 1982 Falklands conflict. May told Absolute Radio's Christian O'Connell they bought the car - complete with the number plate - in the UK because it was the best available vehicle of its type and he said he had not even noticed the plate until it was mentioned online. He said: "How could we have done it deliberately? All we've done is buy some secondhand cars. "It's actually meaningless if you look at it. You have to want to see the meaning." The team were in South America filming a special on a remote highway passing through Chile and Argentina. May said: "We do muck about but we weren't going there to mock people about their war casualties." He said they decided to change the plate once they had finished filming on the country's roads, but it had not been possible to do it earlier. He said: "Go outside and change the number plate on your car and then see what happens the next time you meet a policeman. You just can't do that." www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/top-gear-falklands-row-james-4414909#ixzz3Fk3iIfOp
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Post by RedMoon11 on Oct 10, 2014 15:46:52 GMT
  DM
Top Gear’s James May on the number plate scandal: ‘It was all a big coincidence’As the hot water rises around Jeremy Clarkson and the Top Gear crew after that number plate incident – the one where they appear to have mocked the Falkland’s war while in Argentina – James May has spoken out about what really happened. And basically, it could all be one major coincidence. Speaking to Absolute Radio’s Christian O’Connell on the Breakfast Show, he explained that there were only two of that type of manual, right hand drive 928 GT Porches in the country, and they just happened to pick the one with the inflammatory number plates. When he was told that the chance of them buying that number plate and taking it to Argentina as a coincidence was 13 million to one, he countered: ‘That is true of any number plate because they are all unique. [The number plate] is meaningless, you have to want to see it.’ He argued that the car has had the same registration from the get go as it is not something that can be legally changed and therefore they couldn’t have tampered with it or they wouldn’t have been able to cross the boarders. O’Connell suggested it was all a publicity stunt, to which James May said: ‘but that would presuppose we were able to choose the number plate for the car which we obviously couldn’t do.’ He also explained that the alternative plates found in the car which spelled out ‘Bell End’ were intended for use during their car football and would not have been used on the roads. metro.co.uk/2014/10/10/top-gears-james-may-on-the-number-plate-scandal-it-was-all-a-big-coincidence-4900873/ |
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Post by RedMoon11 on Oct 11, 2014 12:31:06 GMT
James May says Top Gear would joke about ham and cheese - but not war
James May defends Top Gear's Falklands number plate debacle and insists the BBC show would never mock the casualties of war
 Clarkson in Chile before the attack on the Top Gear team. Right, the convoy including the Porsche with the 'Falklands war’ number plate (Autoblog Argentina) By Victoria Ward 10 Oct 2014
James May has waded into the Top Gear number plate row, insisting that while the show might laugh about Argentina’s “obsession” with ham and cheese it would never make a mockery of war. The presenter claimed the controversial H982 FKL number plate that forced the BBC team to flee the South American country was “meaningless” and that no one had picked up on its perceived connotations. He said they bought the offending Porsche 928, complete with its original number plate, in the UK because it was the best available vehicle of its type and had not even noticed the plate. After three or four days of driving through Chile, the team, including co-presenters Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond, realised that the number plate was generating some criticism amongst locals online. “We looked at it and thought, ‘Well it doesn’t, but you could sort of, alright, maybe,’” he said A colleague in the UK, who was due to fly out to collect some of the rushes of film, was asked to have a second plate made up reading BE11 END so they make light of the situation with a typically “childish” joke when they had finished the road trip. "We do muck about but we weren't going there to mock people about their war casualties," May told Absolute Radio's Christian O'Connell. “We wouldn’t go and drag up a war, especially one in living memory. It was all a complete tragedy. We wouldn’t do that. I’m quite happy to laugh at Argentina’s obsession with ham and cheese, but not, you know, delicate bits of their history. We just wouldn’t do that.” He added: “We were definitely not going to talk about the Falklands War. The only thing we did acknowledge is that we would end up in Ushuaia where there is a certain amount of resentment towards the British, because that’s where the Belgrano sailed from, but we weren’t going to mention that.” May said it was illegal to change the number plate of a car so they were unable to do anything about it sooner. But he insisted that it was impossible to read anything into the controversial plate unless it had been pointed out. “I didn’t notice it, neither did anybody else,” he said. “You have to remember we weren’t thinking about the Falklands War. We were going to do an epic, long, very difficult drive to celebrate fantastic scenery.” The team was forced to leave the country when a group of protesters turned up at their hotel and started threatening them. May said that he, Clarkson and Hammond were so afraid that when they landed in Buenos Aires they arranged an air lift to rescue the rest of the crew if they couldn’t get out by road. “What we didn’t realise was it was much more scary for the crew as there were a mob waiting for them waiting to beat them, we misjudged it,” he said. “I hope we’re not barred from Argentina – I’d quite like to go back for another ham and cheese sandwich”. www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/top-gear/11154665/James-May-says-Top-Gear-would-joke-about-ham-and-cheese-but-not-war.html*I don't know why The Telegraph has a photo of Jeremy when the story is about James' Absolute Radio's Christian O'Connell show appearance.*
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Post by RedMoon11 on Oct 11, 2014 14:29:16 GMT
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Post by RedMoon11 on Nov 1, 2014 19:27:15 GMT
James May speaks about physical violence & danger Top Gear crew faced in Argentina
Top Gear's James May talks about the physical threat the Top Gear crew faced in Argentina, which followed the number plate controversy (watch James talking about the licence plate row here
)Speaking for the first time about the controversy surrounding the Top Gear numberplate controversy, James May talks to Christian O'Connell on Absolute Radio, and defends the rest of the Top Gear team (including Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond) over what happened in Argentina.
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Post by RedMoon11 on Nov 5, 2014 19:01:03 GMT
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Post by RedMoon11 on Dec 10, 2014 17:44:48 GMT
Christian O'Connell @oc · 7:21 AM - 10 Dec 2014
New Star joining @realshanerichie in our live Xmas Panto 'Zombie Claus 2' is @mrjamesmay. Live on stage and @absoluteradio Friday 19th Dec
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Post by RedMoon11 on Dec 12, 2014 23:46:34 GMT
The Christian O'Connell Breakfast Show With Christian O'Connell, Andrew Bailey, Richie Firth and Faye Carruthers James May hates pantomimes, Richie brings us the sequel to Martin the Monkey and we learn a lot about the humble gecko. Duration: 55 minutes absoluteradio.co.uk/schedule/the-christian-oconnell-breakfast-show-2/episodes/30806/?playJames comes on around the 37 minute mark
Absolute Radio @absoluteradio · 8:16 AM - 12 Dec 2014 The man who hates pantomime, @mrjamesmay, is our Zombie Claus! Expect a low-energy performance. @oc #OC  |
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Post by RedMoon11 on Dec 12, 2014 23:50:12 GMT
Absolute Radio @absoluteradio · 12 Dec 2014 Ladies and Gentlemen - Zombie Claus 2 is coming. @oc #OC  |
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Post by RedMoon11 on Dec 19, 2014 20:15:00 GMT
Zombie Claus 2: Part One (James May, Shane Richie, Ian Wright)
Christian O'Connell presents the Absolute Radio Christmas panto 2014: ZOMBIE CLAUS 2!
Starring, in no particular order, James May, Shane Richie, Ian Wright, Christian O'Connell, Andrew Bailey, Faye Carruthers, Russ Williams, Tom Cruise, Roy Hodgson, and a cast of thousands.
Zombie Claus 2: Part Two (James May, Shane Richie, Ian Wright) Christmas Panto
Part two of the scariest and zombiest panto in human history. No-one really knows what's going on, but join Christian O'Connell, Richie Firth and many celebrity guests for arctic adventures with salvon, Roy Hodgson, and a van...
Zombie Claus 2: Part Three (James May, Shane Richie, Ian Wright)
Christian O'Connell brings you the epic conclusion to the biggest panto this side of the arctic circle: Zombie Claus 2! Starring Christian, Richie, James May, Shane Richie, Ian Wright, Andrew Bailey, Faye Carruthers, and many many many many more...
Zombie Claus 2: Dick jokes
Zombie Claus 2: Richie topples set onto listener's head
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Post by RedMoon11 on Dec 19, 2014 20:18:46 GMT
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Post by RedMoon11 on Dec 19, 2014 20:33:55 GMT
Absolute Radio @absoluteradio · 7:33 AM - 19 Dec 2014 Voted 'Santa Least Likely To Make It Round The World In A Night'… James May is here! #ZombieClaus  |
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Post by RedMoon11 on Dec 19, 2014 20:37:18 GMT
Absolute Radio @absoluteradio · 7:42 AM - 19 Dec 2014 Richie's TV listings quiz is in full flow! The atmosphere is… underwhelming. #ZombieClaus  |
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Post by RedMoon11 on Dec 19, 2014 20:40:59 GMT
Absolute Radio @absoluteradio · 8:18 AM - 19 Dec 2014 Actually, @mrjamesmay does make a great Santa. Well, acceptable Santa. #ZombieClaus  |
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Post by RedMoon11 on Dec 19, 2014 20:51:49 GMT
Absolute Radio @absoluteradio · 8:36 AM - 19 Dec 2014 The rubbish flute is #ZombieClaus's rallying cry!  Absolute Radio @absoluteradio · 8:42 AM - 19 Dec 2014 How can our heroes possibly survive @ianwright0 and @mrjamesmay's zombie onslaught?! #ZombieClaus  pbs.twimg.com/tweet_video/B5NKYY3CcAEAhIz.mp4 |
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Post by RedMoon11 on Dec 19, 2014 21:11:46 GMT
Absolute Radio @absoluteradio · 9:05 AM - 19 Dec 2014 Thanks to @smiffysuk for the amazing costumes! #ZombieClaus  |
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Post by RedMoon11 on Jan 16, 2015 17:49:25 GMT
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Post by RedMoon11 on Nov 24, 2015 19:13:24 GMT
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Post by dit on Nov 25, 2015 1:31:22 GMT
God, he's an early riser. I couldn't cope with that. Dressed and coherent at 6am? Sheesh......
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Post by Flying Lady on Nov 26, 2015 18:13:45 GMT
Looks like his hair is still damp from the shower, though!
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Post by RedMoon11 on Nov 18, 2016 7:59:13 GMT
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Post by RedMoon11 on Nov 18, 2016 8:34:31 GMT
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Post by RedMoon11 on Nov 18, 2016 18:43:33 GMT
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Post by RedMoon11 on Nov 18, 2016 18:47:41 GMT
James May on The Grand TourPublished on Nov 18, 2016James May sat down with Christian on the dawn of the brand new series 'The Grand Tour' to talk about the show, swearing on TV, his move into boiler suit fashion and his upcoming show 'The James May: The Reassembler'. www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTtolmV2a-I
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