Clarkson sent open invite for thousands to join them in square in what cr ew say is 'two fingers' to departed Evans


Former Top Gear presenter James May says he is ‘chuffed’ Chris Evans was forced to quit after his first, disastrous series in charge of the show.

Asked for his reaction that rival Evans' catastrophic spell as host of the once popular BBC show is over, May quipped: 'Very chuffed'.

The star's dig at Evans came this afternoon as he, Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond roared into Vicenza's main square in northern Italy to film their new Amazon show, 'Grand Tour'.

When Clarkson, at the wheel of an orange Aston Martin, was asked whether he had a message for Evans, he said, ‘don’t be stupid’, and tried to grab the camera.

The trio were mobbed as they drove into the city's Piazza Dei Signori. Clarkson had invited fans to join them the day before when he tweeted: 'People of Italy James Richard and I will be filming in the Piazza Dei Signori in Vicenza tomorrow at 3pm. Come along'.

Crew working on their show claimed Clarkson intentionally staged the scenes of chaos in the stunning piazza as ‘a two fingers up’ to his TV rival, Evans.

‘Jeremy’s been trying to keep quiet about it, but he’s pleased as punch,’ one unnamed cameraman said.

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'Chuffed': James May joked he is ‘very chuffed’ flop Chris Evans was forced to quit as Top Gear presenter after two disastrous months

'Two fingers': Jeremy Clarkson was asked whether he had a message for Evans, but said, ‘don’t be stupid’, and tried to grab the camera

Cheers: Hammond was given a hero's welcome as the stars roared into Vicenza main square to film their new Amazon 'Grand Tour' show

Mobbed: Crowds clapped and cheered as they mobbed the cars and the stars on arrival today in the square in northern Italy for filming

‘He’s kept his mouth shut about Evans the whole time, and now Evans has hung himself by his own rope without Jeremy getting involved.

‘It’s ironic because Evans was a massive Top Gear fan, but he’s ruined it for himself by taking the top job job on the show.’

The cameraman spoke as thousands of adoring fans mobbed the trio as they drove supercars slowly through the ancient Piazza Dei Signori in the centre of Vicenza, northern Italy.

The cameraman told MailOnline that Clarkson revelled in the crowds - adding: 'Jeremy intentionally created this mob by sending a tweet out,’ he said.

‘It’s the sort of thing Chris Evans has done in the past. It’s competitive tweeting, basically. It’s all just a big ego trip.

Open invite: Clarkson tweeted yesterday: 'People of Italy James Richard and I will be filming in the Piazza Dei Signori in Vicenza tomorrow at 3pm. Come along'. Crew on the new Grand Tour show claim it was Clarkson's way of revelling in Evans' demise at Top Gear host

A cameraman on the new 'Grand Tour' show told MailOnline the crowds were Clarkson's 'two fingers' to his TV rival Evans - adding: ‘He kept his mouth shut about Evans the whole time, and now Evans has hung himself by his own rope without Jeremy getting involved

Selfies with fans: ‘Jeremy’s been trying to keep quiet about it, but he’s pleased as punch,’ the crew member told MailOnline. Another added: ‘Jeremy’s really getting off on having this mob here. The irony is that Jeremy actually hates the general public'

An unnamed crew member added: ‘Jeremy intentionally created this mob by sending a tweet out,’ he said. ‘It’s the sort of thing Chris Evans has done in the past. It’s competitive tweeting, basically. It’s all just a big ego trip'

Adulation: Fans in Italy answered Clarkson's call and waited patiently in the main square to get a glimpse of the trio including Hammond and May, who all left BBC's Top Gear last year and were snapped up by rivals Amazon

Jokes: May was only too happy to offer his insight into Evans' departure from the once popular BBC show after a ratings nightmare in which it pulled in fewer viewing figures than in Clarkson's time on the show

‘Jeremy’s really getting off on having this mob here. The irony is that Jeremy actually hates the general public.’

Another crew member added that the filming in the Piazza Dei Signori was a ‘victory lap’ to celebrate Evans’ fall from grace.

Thousands of young Italians gathered in the piazza from 3pm, but the former Top Gear presenters did not arrive until more than an hour later.

Taking the mickey: Sunday's finale of the revamped BBC show which boasted a new team including Evan, Friends star Matt le Blanc and Eddie Jordan, attracted fewer viewers than any Clarkson (right, with Evans in May last year) episode

Out: Evans's departure from Top Gear after only one year of a three-year deal means it will be up to Matt LeBlanc (right) to save the show

Friends: Despite his career being in turmoil, Evans put on a brave face this week as he enjoyed time out at a greasy spoon in London with showbiz pals Danny Baker and James Corden. The trio were pictured sharing a laugh as Evans sipped on a coffee

Exit: Evans quit Top Gear as he could no longer bear taking the blame for the show's much-criticised revamp and haemorrhaging viewer figures, a close friend revealed

Most of the fans were young men, but there was a significant number of teenage girls and young women in the crowd. Many of them had simply come to witness the spectacle, but some declared their love for Clarkson.

‘Jeremy Clarkson is definitely the sexist of the three,’ quipped one female fan.

Elizabeth Theuer added he is her favourite because: 'He doesn’t care about how he looks and he doesn’t care what people think,’ she said. ‘The new Top Gear is no good. Chris Evans didn’t fit with the show and he was trying too hard. I didn’t like him. Clarkson has the sex appeal.’

Valentina De Liberato, 21, said: 'I used to watch Top Gear when Clarkson was in it, but now I don't follow it because I don't know the presenter. I don't understand why they have come to Vicenza. It's not a big city. Turin is more famous for cars, with Fiat for example.'

Mobbed: ‘Jeremy Clarkson is definitely the sexist of the three,’ joked one female fan. Another added: ‘Clarkson doesn’t care about how he looks and he doesn’t care what people think'

Fans: Programme bosses have said the Grand Tour studio will be a big tent which will be taken to a different location each week to record a series of 12 programmes with a live audience

Other young women, however, said that they had decided to come to the piazza for the sake of the supercars rather than the presenters' charisma.

‘I like the cars, not the man,’ said Julia Filipi, 27, who works in a supermarket and was sitting with her mechanic boyfriend. ‘Jeremy Clarkson is an old man.’

Sonya Halili agreed. ‘Clarkson is funny but he’s not politically correct. I find him quite sexy, but the cars are more sexy. But I don’t think I’d get on with him because he hates Porsches and my father drives a Porsche.’

Many of the young people who thronged the piazza had taken time off work to catch a glimpse of their idols.

Darwin, 21, an American serviceman stationed in a nearby US Army infantry base, confessed that he had gone AWOL in order to see the Grand Tour being filmed live.

‘I’m here for the cool supercars and to get a selfie with Jeremy,’ he said. ‘Generally Italy is boring, but when the UK comes to Italy, things get a little more fun.’

His friend, Irish-born Jason Sullivan, 28, agreed. ‘Wherever he goes, there is chaos, and he’s bringing the chaos to Italy,’ he said.

Programme bosses have said the Grand Tour studio will be a big tent which will be taken to a different location each week to record a series of 12 programmes with a live audience.

The hosts will then film pre-recorded segments reviewing cars and completing challenges, as they used to do with Top Gear.

Chaos: Fan Darwin, 21, an American serviceman stationed in a nearby US Army infantry base, confessed that he had gone AWOL in order to see the Grand Tour being filmed live. ‘I’m here for the cool supercars and to get a selfie with Jeremy,’ he said

Sex appeal: Elizabeth Theuer (left) said Clarkson is her favourite because: 'He doesn’t care about how he looks and he doesn’t care what people think,’ she said. Valentina De Liberato, 21, (right) added: 'I used to watch Top Gear when Clarkson was in it, but now I don't follow it because I don't know the presenter'

The name of the programme is a reference to 'The Grand Tour' undertaken by 17th Century Englishmen such as Lord Byron when they visited France, Italy and the rest of Europe in search of cultural edification and personal enlightenment.