George Michael has hit out at Top Gear host Jeremey Clarkson after the latter made a joke suggesting he was sexually promiscuous.

Earlier this month, Michael tweeted a video of a man driving a pink Bentley and joked: “I swear this is real. And I sound like Jeremy Clarkson with someone’s finger up his arse … its a camp classic all round.”

He then urged his followers to forward the video to Clarkson, saying it was from a “Top Queer”.

Clarkson responded on Sunday night’s show. Talking about a Jaguar XKR-S, he commented: “It’s very fast and very, very loud. And then in the corners it will get its tail out more readily than George Michael.”

Michael, who has been arrested for public sex in the past, tweeted today: “Good grief Mr.Clarkson, I wasn’t implying your towering heterosexuality was in question. I had no desire to insult you!

“But I do now, you pig-ugly homophobic twat!!!!!”

Clarkson, who is paid £1 million a year by the BBC, was nominated for Stonewall’s Bigot of the Year award in 2007 for refusing to apologise after being reprimanded by BBC bosses for derogatory gay jibes on primetime TV.

He told an audience member that he would not buy a car because it was “a bit gay” and “very ginger beer”, which is rhyming slang for “queer”.

Last summer, former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell said that when he appeared on Top Gear, Clarkson made a joke about not wanting to be “bummed” by gay people. The joke was cut from the broadcast show.