http://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/news-and-views/racing/isle-of-man-tt/latest-isle-of-man-tt-news/guy-martin-on-why-he-turned-down-top-gear/#.VmVHbuJCjLf

Isle of Man TT star Guy Martin has admitted that he did think about joining the new presenting team of Top Gear, but soon realised the job ‘wasn’t for him’.

When Jeremy Clarkson was controversially sacked from the show earlier this year, the rumour mill was on overdrive in regards to who would replace him.

It was eventually confirmed that long-time car geek and current Radio 2 DJ, Chris Evans would take over from the opinionated Clarkson, but the replacements for James May and Richard Hammond were still unknown.

Having enjoyed tonnes of success with his hit Channel 4 series ‘Speed’, Martin was in the bookies’ running to join the show from the off.

When asked about the rumours earlier this year, he responded: “I don’t think I’d be able to get the time off work! I don’t want to try and be the man who replaced Jeremy Clarkson, but never say never.”

Now, in an article in the Sunday Times (taken from his new book, ‘When you dead, you dead’) Martin has admitted declining an approach for the Top Gear job and explained why the role wasn’t for him.

“Daft things started to happen when all the Jeremy Clarkson stuff kicked off and it became clear he was getting the boot from Top Gear,” wrote Martin.

Martin at last year’s TT

“Loads of rumours started that I was going to replace him. It was all a load of rubbish at first – just bookies putting out odds to get gullible people to part with their money – but then Chris Evans got involved with Top Gear and Andy Spellman [Martin’s manager] got a call from some gadgie at the BBC saying that Evans wanted to talk to me and that I could do one show, all the shows, do what I wanted, as long as I was in Top Gear.

“I didn’t say no straight away, but the more I thought about it, the more I knew it wasn’t right for me. For one thing, if I did it, I’d always be compared with Clarkson… Another reason not to do it was because the BBC man said it was the biggest television show in the world.

“How many presenters would turn that down? Not many of them, but I did. I’m not being cocky but I can turn down the biggest TV show in the world because TV work is not my big picture. I sometimes whinge about the amount of attention I’m getting at the moment – imagine how bad it would be if I were on Top Gear? I couldn’t go and race a Harley-Davidson chopper at Dirt Quake on a quiet weekend, could I?

“Top Gear might pay squillions of pounds, but what do I want all that for? I can earn enough for the life I want fixing lorries and doing a few other bits and pieces.”

While Martin’s future racing plans are unconfirmed, his TV work is set to continue next year as he takes on the ‘Wall of Death’. He’ll also take part in the Triumph land speed record attempt originally scheduled for earlier this year.

Even more respect than before. I earn enough, it was just a way for the bookies to get people to part with their cash, but best of all, some gadgie from the BBC! Feet on the ground and happy with himself is the sign of a great bloke. Time for a cuppa!

“Top Gear might pay squillions of pounds, but what do I want all that for? I can earn enough for the life I want fixing lorries and doing a few other bits and pieces.”

So refreshing for anyone involved in tv to be so free of insecurity.

What else happened in August?

He seems a very grounded person.

With his casual use of disparaging language like “gadgie” and calling southerners “soft pooftahs”, he’d have been the perfect replacement for Clackson.

You don’t get to own the cars that Guy Martin owns by fixing a few lorries….

Elaborate.

You don’t get to own the cars that Guy Martin owns by fixing a few lorries….

Racing on the roads in Ireland and living like a pauper got him his GT3. So I’m guessing other stuff came the same kinda way.

As usual, the kind of people you want to be role models, don’t want the role cos they’re too lacking in ego. So you get Clarkson types as your public role models instead!

And he hardly fixes ‘a few trucks’. He works his bollocks off doing it.

So refreshing for anyone involved in tv to be so free of insecurity.

all the people i know in TV are just normal people. sparks, runners, focus-pullers set-dressers etc. some of them even ride MTB’s

not everyone involved in TV is like clarkson

http://m.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11556571

…so free of insecurity

Hmm, not how I read it. I read a man not confident enough in his ability to co-host the biggest TV show in the World. Everything else he wrote is simply justifying that decision.

I like Guy Martin and I really enjoyed the Speed series, but I do think he would have been a bit too colloquial to be a hit on a Worldwide show like Top Gear, much as I would have loved to see him on it.

they would need subtitles for the worldwide syndication of the program to areas that don’t have their own franchise. while his accent and colloquialisms may be endearing for some they would be incomprehensible for many.

You don’t get to own the cars that Guy Martin owns by fixing a few lorries….

Read his book, that’ll fill in the blanks about his finances for you 🙄

You don’t get to own the cars that Guy Martin owns by fixing a few lorries…

Tv work pays quite well, you know…

Guy M would be dreadful working to a script. Or trying to write one.

Nothing at all wrong with knowing your own limits.

His first book was really interesting, if not the greatest work of literature.

Despite all the nay-sayers, I don’t think the Guy Martin you see on the TV – like him or not – is far removed from the real person. He seems to come across as a guy that fixes trucks to pay his living expenses, races and does TV for the hell of it when he can and to pay for his toys.

Can you have “life envy”?

I agree that he wouldn’t have quite right as the presenter but I would like to see him on there occasionally, perhaps with a motorbike spot or star in the rubbish car.

I read a man not confident enough in his ability to co-host the biggest TV show in the World.

I don’t think confidence has anything to do with it, he’s obviously a person that enjoys a certain amount of anonymity in his life and that would be impossible if he’d taken that job. Also some people are happy doing jobs they enjoy that may be slightly below their ability level well rather than taking on something they could probably do but would end pushing themselves out of their comfort zone and not enjoying.

I’ve got a job that I really enjoy doing but I know its frustrated one of my managers before that I have no desire to progress within the company. As long as I can do my current job well, pay the bills, keep a roof over our head, buy food & clothes for my daughter and have a bit of spare money now and again for bikes & cars I’m happy 😀

casual use of disparaging language like “gadgie”

AIUI “gadgie” is an insult in, say, Scotland, but more a generic reference to a man or official in the North East. My assumption on reading that was that the latter is the more likely usage in North Lincs.

Happy to be corrected. And agree that “pooftah” as an insult has no place on TV. Or anywhwere else.

casual use of disparaging language like “gadgie”

Gage or Gadgie is a friendly term in the North.

I thought a gadgie was the gypsy term for someone who is not a gypsy.

I don’t want to try and be the man who replaced Jeremy Clarkson

This is where Evans is clever, when you hear him talking about the new show he’s very clear that the new Top Gear will be nothing like the old one as they would constantly be compared. Apparently there wont really be a new Jeremy/Richard/James. Will be interesting to see just how different he can make things.

I thought a gadgie was the gypsy term for someone who is not a gypsy.

Close. In the NE it comes from the term meaning a stranger and was sometimes used for tinkers or gypsies because they were strangers.

Oh wait seems I was wrong. 😳

http://onlineslangdictionary.com/meaning-definition-of/gadgie

Either way, it’s pretty obvious which was the intended useage in this case.

Not even slightly offensive, even if you are really trying.

I thought a gadgie was the gypsy term for someone who is not a gypsy.

gorger is the term you are looking for.

You seem to have forgotten how hard some people on here try!

It’s not even necessarily about not going for a job which is towards the limits of your comfort levels. Typically there seems to be a push towards promoting people not only beyond their level of competence, but into roles which are different to what they’re good at. My old company did manage a slight recognition of this by providing roles which retained technical expertise at a senior level, but still left a yawning gap for those of us who didn’t have world expert levels of specialist knowledge but very good at what we did on a technical level – still nowhere to go without getting into management which is something I don’t like and I’m not good at. Yet it’s frowned on for an intelligent graduate who’s very technically competent to not have the ambition to want to “advance” into a role where I’d be incompetent.

Quite what anything has to do with his private earnings is beyond speculation and/or conjecture so I’d be inclined to leave that nugget with him TBH.

As for the Top Gear invite, well he’s happy doing what he’s happy doing, again whether he chooses what you think he should choose is just gossip mongering.

He said Nah, should be the end of it, No?

He said Nah, should be the end of it, No?

Maybe it would have been if someone hadn’t written all about it in his book. 😉

Maybe Guy is smart enough to recognise a massive flop when he sees one.

The fact Chris Evans is at the helm is enough for any right-minded individual to kick it into touch. He has his own little niche carved out and I just couldn’t see him being anyone’s stooge.

This tale of him knocking back Top Gear just adds to the legend of Guy doesn’t it?

The fact Chris Evans is at the helm is enough for any right-minded individual to kick it into touch.

Yeah, Chris Evans… What’s he ever done that’s been a success eh?
Bloody hopeless.

This tale of him knocking back Top Gear just adds to the legend of Guy doesn’t it?

Well if you consider saying no to something making you a legend or that he’s some sort of legend in the first place.

Yeah, Chris Evans… What’s he ever done that’s been a success eh?
Bloody hopeless.

We are talking about Top Gear here, not Don’t forget your toothbrush. 😆

I thought the Top Gear format was very tired so I don’t think anyone can zhush up a moribund show like that, not even Chris. A whole new show without the Top Gear branding might have been the way to go IMO. 😕

My point was more aimed at the fact that Guy is his own man and wouldn’t like to be cast in the Hammond or May role.

Top Gear has gone through many format changes over the years, so don’t see why it can’t again.

Did no one else hear Guy Martin on Radio 2 with Chris Evans? He was shockingly bad.

Perhaps he is just aware of his own limits?

Gage or Gadgie is a friendly term in the North.

Which would be fine if the article wasn’t published nationally. BTW. I’m not offended, I’m just pointing out that Clarkson got lambasted for saying “slope” which has no negative meaning in my part of the world yet people are more than happy to put Martin on a pedastal while using equally distasteful language, moreso to defend him labelling anyone who picks up on this as somekind of saddo. Don’t forget there are some sections of society where **** is an acceptable term and others where it is not, it’s not necessarily your place to call right or wrong.
I don’t like the guy and am even more amused by the adulation that he gets on here. This is an opinion I’m entitled to.
I do have to say that his admition of mastubating fits with my opinion of him. 😀

Thanks OP.

I really could not see Martin being Evan’s sidekick and streetcred. Which is the job he was offered. Easy to turn down.

Don’t forget your toothbrush was Evan’s vehicle ( 😉 ) Top Gear was very sucessfully transformed to become the Clarkson show. Evans has taken it on as “why not” and it all helps to further regenerate his career after all the boozing. Personally I have zero interest in watching the new version.

This is an opinion I’m entitled to.

There isn’t anything nice I can say about people who use this phrase (and similar). So I’ll just sit here quietly.

Which would be fine if the article wasn’t published nationally. BTW. I’m not offended, I’m just pointing out that Clarkson got lambasted for saying “slope” which has no negative meaning in my part of the world yet people are more than happy to put Martin on a pedastal while using equally distasteful language[/quote]

So he’s supposed to change the language he naturally uses when being interviewed because it’s offensive in a way he’s not aware of? (I have to admit I’m struggling here, because I was totally unaware of any meaning of the term). You do realise that “slope” wasn’t Clarkson’s natural language in the same way, and that therefore the intent was totally different? It was the quite deliberate implications which got him into trouble, I’m not sure how it’s possible to compare it with this.

I don’t like the guy

Now there’s a surprise.

So he’s supposed to change the language he naturally uses when being interviewed because it’s offensive in a way he’s not aware of? (I have to admit I’m struggling here, because I was totally unaware of any meaning of the term). You do realise that “slope” wasn’t Clarkson’s natural language in the same way, and that therefore the intent was totally different?

Struggling to accept the argument here. 😆 Lacks any form of consistency.