Richard Hammond slammed for saying ‘eating ice cream is gay’ during Grand Tour episode
The bizarre exchange happened during the sixth episode of the former Top Gear presenter's new Amazon Prime show with co-hosts Jeremy Clarkson and James May
RICHARD Hammond has come under fire after implying ice cream is "gay" in the latest episode of new show The Grand Tour.
The bizarre exchange happened during the sixth episode of the former Top Gear presenter's new Amazon Prime show with co-hosts Jeremy Clarkson and James May.
In the show, broadcast on December 23, Clarkson points to an image of the interior of a Rolls Royce and says: "The only problem is that in one of those, you couldn’t enjoy a chocolate Magnum ice cream."
But Hammond replies: "It’s all right, I don’t eat ice cream. It’s something to do with being straight."
Fellow presenters Clarkson and May appear taken aback by the comment, but laughs and clapping can be heard from the live audience.
Clarkson asks: "Are you saying everyone who likes ice cream.. you're saying all children are homosexual?"
Hammond continues: "There's nothing wrong with it... it's that way rather than that way."
To which Clarkson quips: "Welcome to the inside of Richard Hammond's head."
The strange comments have stirred up a storm on social media, with some offended while others have simply mocked the assertion.
Others contrasted Hammond's comments to the tragic death of George Michael on Christmas Day.
The 53-year-old - heralded as a gay icon - was found dead at his home in Oxfordshire, sparking an outpouring of grief, love and shock.
The trio are no strangers to controversy, a regular feature of their former show Top Gear which was known for its non-PC humour.
The presenters famously left after Clarkson was sacked for punching a producer reportedly in a row over food.
And The Grand Tour has been no different, with its first few episodes including a stunt in which Jeremy Clarkson shows viewers how to smuggle an immigrant into the UK.
One of Top Gear's biggest controversies came in 2014 when its hosts were chased out of Argentina for having a Porsche with the number plate H982 FKL - which locals thought was a reference to the Falklands War.
Clarkson re-ignited his own battle with Argentina this week, tweeting: "Happy Christmas to everyone. Except the Tierra Del Fuego people of Argentina. You lot can sod off."
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