The Top Gear presenter and newspaper columnist was appearing on The One Show. His comments prompted complaints and led to a swift apology from the BBC.
When asked by the hosts what he would do about the strikes, Clarkson replied:
“I would have them all shot.
“I would take them outside and execute them in front of their families.
“I mean how dare they go on strike when they have these gilt-edged pensions that are going to be guaranteed, while the rest of us have to work for a living.”
Top ten Jeremy Clarkson gaffes
His remarks were met with awkward looks from presenters Matt Baker and Alex Jones, although some members of the audience laughed.
Twitter immediately erupted in anger, with “Jeremy Clarkson” becoming a trending topic.
“So sad to hear the news about Jeremy Clarkson. He’s still alive,” Tweeted on person.
Another wrote: “Millionaire moron Jeremy Clarkson forgets he too is a public sector worker. BBC pay him over £1million a year of taxpayers money!”
Referring to the My Tram Experience video that caused an uproar this week, one Twitter user wrote: “If only Jeremy Clarkson had a child on his lap, and said that on youtube and not national tv…”
Celebrities also chimed in with their opinions.
Piers Morgan tweeted: “Just to be clear, Jeremy Clarkson thinks underpaid, overworked nurses on strike today should be ‘executed in front of their families.”
Our blogger Frankie Mullin defends Jeremy Clarkson
Tony Parsons added: “Jeremy Clarkson has misjudged the moment. Criticising striking public sector workers today is like sieg-heiling at Last Night of the Proms.”
Clarkson gaffes didn’t end there. The 51-yearold went on to complain about the inconvenience of having people jump under trains.
“‘I do sometimes use the train to come to London but it always stops in Reading. It’s always because somebody has jumped in front of it and somebody has burst,” he said.
“You just think, why have we stopped because we’ve hit somebody? What’s the point of stopping? It won’t make them better.”
After the show, the presenters issued an on-air apology for Clarkson, saying: “Although we enjoy Jeremy’s views, which he sometimes exaggerates for comical effect, we are seriously sorry if his comments about deaths on the railways has upset anyone.”
Clarkson is known for his outrageous comments. Last year he offended Top Gear viewers by claiming that Muslim women wear sexy G-strings under their burkas.
