After the shock that that last Sundays episode was faked with the caravan and balloon,now theyre not banning gay couples from the show.

BBC insists Top Gear does not ban gay couples
December 3,2009.

The BBC has denied any discrimination after gay couples expressed outrage claiming Top Gear has "banned" them from studio recordings of the show.

Same sex couples are prevented from joining the TV audience under a bizarre rule that stipulates bookings must be "50 per cent male and 50 per cent female".

However a BBC spokesperson has dismissed the ban: "We do not – absolutely do not – discriminate against same sex couples," she said. "The whole implication that Top Gear is in any way homophobic is completely wrong."

The issue came to light after Simon Reeves and his partner were turned down when they applied for audience tickets. "I couldn't believe it," he told the Daily Mirror.

"Top Gear is the blokiest show on telly, but we weren't allowed unless we took a couple of female friends.

"It sounds like something Jeremy Clarkson came up with to ensure he didn't have to put up with any gays."

Presenter Clarkson was rapped by Ofcom in 2007 for making a homophobic remark on the programme. He described a car as "a bit gay…. very ginger beer".

Ben Summerskill, chief executive of gay rights charity Stonewall, told the Daily Mirror: "It's very odd, but what do you expect from pigs that grunt? Regrettably, with Jeremy Clarkson involved, it's not surprising. The show itself is full of stereotyping of both men and women – but it's funded by gay and lesbian licence fee cash as well as everyone else's."

Conversely the BBC spokesperson said: "The decision to have a balance of men and women in the audience was taken by the BBC back in 2002. Jeremy had nothing to do with it."

How very sad they appear to be going to such extremes just to get extra free publicity,for what was once a good programe.

That post is so gay….

How about a story on Top Gear making it difficult for single males with no female friends to attend!

Get over it jeez do you lot believe everything thats written in the papers?
Get whats happening-subliminal advertising for their christmas DVD.

So its a bollocks story, as originally when the 'hanger' was set up they didn't want just blokes turning up – so did the 50/50 rule.

And anyway, why would you want gays there – 'cept lesbos, always got time for them!

Funny I knew nothing of this story until posted on here, you don't work for the BBC do you?

On aol.

Do women actually know anything more about cars than cup holders and interior mirrors to apply makeup.

It has always been 50/50 – in 2006 when I applied for tickets it was the same
http://www.bbc.co.uk/topgear/show/participate.shtml

Who watches that trash anyway?

Who watches that trash anyway?

Me, I love it.

I love it too. It's a welcome antidote to anodyne politically correct television and is all the better for it.

It's discriminating against parties of testosterone fuelled boy racers, the 50/50 rule is meant to keep the knuckle dragging barbarians out of the studio. A gay / lesbian foursome wouldn't be turned away for example.

Don't believe what you read in the papers…

A gay / lesbian foursome

snigger 🙂

Always been the same the 50/50 rule. nothing to do with homophobia- tossers

ridiculous story, the rule has been there since 2002, why the twatty article now?

"After the shock that that last Sundays episode was faked with the caravan and balloon"

Do you really think that many of the pranks/races are for real? Its just harmless fun!

"Presenter Clarkson was rapped by Ofcom in 2007"

I had to read that twice 😐

Got a mention on tonights show, with the cast of the Village people as audience members,or was it just a bus trip from Brighton.

Very stereo typical crap as per usual.

gods sake, if you don't like it dont bloody watch it. 🙄

Exactly. If you don't like it don't watch it. If you have to b*tch about something on television, go and b*tch about the excessive reality TV content instead.

A shocked project yesterday.

Reality TV is just that based and is REALITY.

Next,Top Gear will have Julian Clary,Stephen Fry and Grahame Norton on,driving the car round the track,just to balance things out

Just who are you accusing of attention seeking. Top gear or Simon Reeves who went to the press to complain about something that doesnt exist?
Another non story written by lazy journalists.

stephen fry has been on in the last series.

gay shock horror

Are William Woollard and Chris Goffey still on it ?

Daily Mirror in serious news story shocker. Written by a trollumnist, to get bits by gullible saddo's like the OP. Jeez, aren't there more important things to get your panties in a knot over?

Reality TV is just that based and is REALITY.

WTF is that meant to mean?

Reality=real, as in real life.

and how does 'reality' TV relate to anything real?

'Cos everybody text votes in real life innit.

Its your intepretation of Real Life,and entertainment

?

WTF?

Reality TV is based on the reality of peoples lives,as it happens,your interpretation of what you see is based on the reality of what happens in your small world.

I also didnt realise that TG was a reality TV show,as opposed to sexist entertainment.

Nope, you've lost me there old chap.

nope, still don't understand. 'reality' TV isn't something I watch, how is it real or anything to do with me?

You can turn the tv off or watch something else .

This thread has become quite surreal now.

Top Gear may be a load of old tosh (quite well done and amusing tosh but tosh none the less), but to think that Big Brother, I'm a Celebrity, Wife Swap etc. are based on "the reality of people's lives" and not deliberately set up by the producers to get what they want, then selectively edited, is just nuts.

that's why I don't watch RealityTV. I don't watch much telly, it's usually a waste of electrons 🙂

I do like top gear though. whilst finding clarkson massively annoying, I have read a couple of his books, he's good at being a media whore.

Still lost in the non-sequiturs.

to think that Big Brother, I'm a Celebrity, Wife Swap etc. are based on "the reality of people's lives" and not deliberately set up by the producers to get what they want, then selectively edited, is just nuts.

spot on