Top Gear trio cost 'a lot of money' to sign up for new series, Amazon boss reveals

The former Top Gear trio recently joined Amazon Prime

AMAZON boss Jeff Bezos has admitted it was "very, very, very expensive" to bring the former Top Gear trio to his digital TV service.

 

Bezos tied up a deal for Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond to front a new motoring show for Amazon Prime customers.

The former BBC presenters were reportedly courted by ITV and Netflix before putting pen to paper earlier this month.

And Bezos said the three stars were "worth a lot of money and they know it" – but did not reveal whether he has met them yet.

 

The billionaire added that he was "very excited" about the new show, which will be broadcast on the streaming service next year.

He told the Sunday Telegraph: "I think we're in a golden age of television so if you go back in time even just five years, you couldn't get A-list talent to do TV serials, or if you could, it was a rare thing. 

"But that's flipped completely."

 

Jeremy Clarkson punched Top Gear producer Oisin Tymon in March

Earlier this month former Top Gear producer Andy Wilman revealed he would be joining Clarkson, May and Hammond on the show, which has a £160 million budget.

Wilman added that the trio were convicted to sign the deal after officials promised not to "interfere" with the show.

He described the experience as "really liberating", adding: "We're all really excited. 

"No one telling us what we can and can't do, just us hopefully producing great programmes. 

The BBC did not renew Clarkson's lucrative deal after he punched producer Oisin Tymon during a "fracas" in March.

Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans has taken over from Clarkson on the BBC show but his co-presenters have not yet been announced.