Shots fired! I repeat: shots fired.

Chris Evans and Jeremy Clarkson do own two of the biggest egos in the British entertainment business, and it appears they are more than happy to engage in a bit of public banter. Following hot on the heels of Clarkson claiming that the BBC came crawling back to him before offering the job to Evans the new host has hit back with some thinly-veiled insults. Over to the Telegraph covering Evans’ comments on Top Gear’s new direction:

Careful doesn’t mean boring. It’s a lack of imagination that makes you have to shock. It’s a race to the bottom and gets boring very quickly.

I would never let anything go out on Top Gear that I thought could justifiably attract any negative reaction or criticism for the sake of it to cultivate notoriety.

Surprise and unpredictability are hard work in television. But you can be unpredictable and surprising without offending anybody – it’s just more difficult.

Evans was quick to allude to his rather chequered past but played down the need to tread the boundaries of good taste:

Some people, including me, in the past have said things that I thought were really risky and outlandish. Do you know how much difference they make to the programme? It’s barely noticeable but the trouble they can get you into! You think, ‘Why did I do that?

I never thought the day would come where I would side with a ginger. Well done Chris Evans, you’ve brought out the humanity in us all.

[source:telegraph]