Mike Brewer’s claims that he got Richard Hammond his role on TV have been rejected by the ex-Top Gear host.
The Grand Tour presenter claimed the Wheeler Dealers host’s comments were “horses***” as he laughed at the “out there” claim.
Mike fired the accusation at the end of last year while discussing Richard on an episode of the Wheeler Dealer podcast.
The car restoration host admitted he secured Richard a screen test at the BBC after turning down a chance to appear on the show himself.
But Richard, one part of the famous trio which made Top Gear a household name alongside Jeremy Clarkson and James May, has since called out the suggestions.
Speaking to DRIVETRIBE, Richard reacted: “Oh really? That’s quite out there isn’t it?
“He claims that he was offered the job but had already accepted Wheeler Dealers and that the only reason I’d got it was because he’d done that.
“But Mike claims that, I claim that’s horses***. I don’t think it did.”
When asked if there is potentially some truth in the claims. Richard was still not so sure.
He joked that Jeremy would be “too old” to remember and the only person able to corroborate the story would be former series producer Andy Wilman.
He added: “I don’t know you’d have to ask Wilman, Wilman would remember. Jeremy wouldn’t, he is too old.”
“Would I be a logical choice if you were going after Mike Brewer and he couldn’t do it?
“Would you go for me? I’m cultured and sophisticated, Mike is Mike.
“I love you Mike, I do, I love him, I think he is one of the nicest men, probably the nicest man in our industry.”
Richard made his Top Gear debut in 2002 when the series started its revamped format.
He continued with the series until 2015 when the three hosts left the show after the BBC decided not to renew Jeremy’s contract.
The three starred on The Grand Tour from 2016 until regular shows ended in 2021 but they still make special programmes every year.
The next edition, simply titled ‘Grand Tour: Sand Job’ will see them tackle the Sahara desert as they follow the footsteps of the Paris-Dakar rally.
Mike told the Wheeler Dealer podcast: “Richard Hammond was the press officer for Renault at the time. And they said to me if it’s not you, who’s it going to be?
“And I said, ‘Have you tried Richard Hammond? He’s the press officer for Renault. He’s desperate to be on the telly’. And they said ‘no’. I said I’ll phone him for you. So I got Richard into the screen test. And I coached him and coached him after the screen test. And he got the job. He’s forgot about that.
“He might tell it a different way – he was waiting for the phone call – but there was a bit before then where I pitched him to BBC.”
