AN embarrassment on Sydney Harbour has turned into a PR disaster for international hit show Top Gear, after it was revealed the man who declared host Jeremy Clarkson would never return to Australia is in fact the chief operating officer of Top Gear Live.

Controversy erupted this week when Jeremy Clarkson was confronted by a troupe of paparazzi photographers on Woolloomooloo wharf as they snapped him walking shoulder to shoulder with beautician Phillipa Sage.

Clarkson and his dinner guests were clearly furious at the assembled press pack, leading the Top Gear host to fire: "You can take them out of England but you can't take the convict out of them."

A previously unidentified man, among those dining with Clarkson at Otto, was later filmed telling photographers: "You're the reason we won't come back to Australia".

The news quickly made its way across the globe, forcing Top Gear executive producer Andy Wilman to make this statement on Friday morning: "That comment was made by a halfwit who has absolutely nothing to do with the TV show, and nor is he a spokesman for Jeremy or any of the other presentersemarks most certainly do not reflect our views in any wayabsolutely furious about what he said and I would like the viewers who watch and enjoy Top Gear in Australia to know this."

However, News Ltd has since confirmed the man is in fact James Cooke-Priest, the chief operating officer of Top Gear Live a spinoff of the hit BBC show which claims on its website "creates LIVE events in the spirit of Top Gear all over the world."

Mr Cooke-Priest was carrying Top Gear Live business cards with him as he tried to manage the standoff between Mr Clarkson and the Sydney press.

media_camera Jeremy Clarkson

"We don't like paps," he told a News Ltd reporter at one point. "I can tell you've got your phones ready to film, we just want to have a quiet dinner."

Top Gear Live is sponsored by the BBC and is responsible for putting together the Sydney Top Gear festival where Clarkson is filming this weekend.

The revelations will embarrass the UK producers of the show, who tried to distance themselves from Mr Cooke-Priest.

BBC spokeswoman Tara Davies confirmed Cooke-Priest worked for Brand Events, a company contracted by BBC to "put on Top Gear Live". She said he had no authority to comment on whether Clarkson would return to Australia.

She said BBC was "furious" with Mr Cooke-Priest.

A BBC source said "very serious chats" would occur between the network and Brand Events as a result of the comments made outside Otto. "The relationship has been strained."

James May, the famous co-host of Jeremy Clarkson, confirmed this morning that the man in the video is a "close friend of the group" and that he had travelled with them from the UK.

Clarkson has tweeted his view of the night, saying: "So I had a conversation last night about how I would never go back to Austria. And NOW look what 's happened."

May said his colleague remained "upbeat" during dinner and that he wasn't personally bothered by the incident.

"They're probably the same everywhere," he told News Ltd. "I couldn't give a pig's arse.

"There was slight hot headedness going on last night, heat of the moment stuff."

Asked why the gentleman indicated Clarkson would stay away from these shores, May said: "It was probably the beer talking. Or rather the Margaret River."

May said the group enjoyed a lovely dinner of "oysters, fettuccine and Margaret River red" despite the early confrontation with paparazzi.

A party of around 10, including Clarkson and May, turned up for dinner by water taxi, having crossed Sydney Harbour from their hotel.

But their night quickly turned from serenity to chaos when top celebrity paparazzo Jamie Fawcett began taking snaps as they made their way up a boat ramp in front of Otto.

"How did they know? Someone at the restaurant's told them," a shocked and furious Clarkson blared. "You can take them out of England, but you just can't take the convict out of them."

Clarkson then approached Fawcett - nose to nose - and said "... Why are you doing this?"

The BBC star then suggested the dinner guests move on to another location, before an Otto staff member assured them the restaurant hadn't leaked their whereabouts.

"Then how do they know? Somebody has told them," Clarkson said.

The internationally famous face of Top Gear then added: "(Fawcett) is all right, but that bald-headed bloke, I was getting ready to throw him into the river" - apparently referring to another nearby member of the press pack.

Clarkson was being followed by celebrity photographers due to rumors of a romance with Sage after being spotted with the single mother in Rome in November last year, sparking rumors Clarkson's marriage with Frances had come to an end.

Clarkson, who arrived alone earlier this week, was joined in Sydney by co-presenter May yesterday, to film segments for the top rating Top Gear program at Sydney's Eastern Creek racetrack.

The group spent a leisurely Thursday afternoon on Sydney Harbour and were joined by the buxom mother of one Phillipa Sage, who was photographed in a bikini on board the luxury charter vessel Flying Fish.

Also in the party and at Otto last night, was actor Shane Jacobsen, the Australian Top Gear host.

They were joined by a number of other unidentified men and women for the boat trip and boozy dinner.

No expense is being spared on the production of the top rating show, or to cater for the needs of the celebrity hosts.

Clarkson is being flown to and from the western Sydney filming location by a chartered helicopter to avoid delays in Sydney's gridlocked traffic.

Earlier, the outspoken star was in his usual sarcastic form, posting a picture on Twitter of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, with the quip: "Anyone else think this is a bit over engineered?"

media_camera Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson tweeted this photo of Sydney's Harbour Bridge, with the words: "Anyone else think this is a bit over engineered?"

Clarkson's clash with the paparazzi comes after a Top Gear stunt planned for Ninety Mile Beach in New Zealand has prompted officials to apologise to Maori locals for not consulting with them before approving it.



Producers of the hit BBC motoring show will next week film a car speeding at up to 150km/h on the beach.



While they gave the BBC permission, the local council bypassed normal processes to approve it, as the exposure for the Far North would be huge.

Originally published as 'Halfwit' doesn't speak for Clarkson