Jeremy Clarkson rejected any claim his TV show displays male chauvinism, and claimed it has been every “ist” but sexist.
The presenter said that The Grand Tour has never been remotely sexist, and that he tries to ignore any “nonsense” accusations.
Speaking at a screening for the upcoming new series of The Grand Tour, the show’s trio of presenters – Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond – refused to be targets for claims of sexism.
Clarkson claimed he offered a wager for charity for anyone to find something misogynistic in his TV output.
He told the Press Association: “We’ve been every other ‘ist’, but we’ve never been sexist. It’s just an assumption. I’m too old these days to listen to that nonsense.
“I don’t mind being judged. People in the olden days were forced to pay my wages, now they do it voluntarily. If they don’t like what I’m doing, judge me. That’s how the world works.
“I still have that £10,000 to a charity of your choice if you can find a sexist thing I’ve ever uttered on television. A woman took me up on it but had to give up after a two-year search because I never have.”
May added: “I don’t see how the feminist movement could have a complaint about us, or if they do, I’d like to know what it is.
“I think people look and they say ‘there’s three white middle-aged blokes on the telly, ipso facto, they’re sexist’. If you watch it carefully – we’re not.”
Hammond also defended The Grand Tour, saying: “With us talking about cars we’ve had ‘you know what you lot are like, talking about women drivers’. When?”
The trio have reunited for third series of the show, which airs on January 18 on Amazon Prime.