Top Gear stalls: Clarkson's 'slope on the bridge' comment was racist, Ofcom rules

Ofcom said that Top Gear’s Burma Special episode in which Jeremy Clarkson used the word “slope” has broken broadcasting rules.

14:44 29 July 2014

Following dozens of complaints, Ofcom has now ruled that Jeremy Clarkson’s use of a potentiallyracial slur broke broadcasting rules.

Top Gear’s Burma Special featured a segment where the host was at a bridge they had built across a river as a local man walked across it. He said: "That is a proud moment. But there's a slope on it." It wasn’t clarified in the show if the word “slope” referred to the build quality of the bridge or the man walking across it.

Ofcom said that the use of word “slope” was offensive.

An Ofcom spokesperson said: "After a thorough investigation, Ofcom has found the BBC breached broadcasting rules by including an offensive racial term in Top Gear, which was not justified by context.

"Jeremy Clarkson used the word 'slope' to refer both to an Asian man crossing a bridge, and the incline of the bridge.

"This was scripted in advance. The BBC failed to take the opportunity, either during filming or post-production, to check whether the word had the potential to offend viewers.

Meanwhile, Top Gear producer Andy Wilman said it was "a light-hearted wordplay joke referencing both the build quality of the bridge and the local Asian man who was crossing it.”

He added: "We were not aware at the time, and it has subsequently been brought to our attention, that the word 'slope' is considered by some to be offensive and although it might not be widely recognised in the UK, we appreciate that it can be considered offensive to some here and overseas, for example in Australia and the USA.

"If we had known that at the time we would not have broadcast the word in this context and regret any offence caused."