Jeremy Clarkson might have been sacked from Top Gear but he and his partners in crime, James May and Richard Hammond, are still coming to Johannesburg this winter for the live tour that had been planned prior to last month's upheaval.
Of course, given that we received the official announcement from the organisers on April 1, we had to double check that this was no joke, and after a quick chuckle the spokesperson confirmed that this is for real.
The trio will be getting up to their usual nonsense at the Ticketpro Dome in Joburg from June 12 to 14. Tickets will go on sale soon and those who bought Christmas Vouchers will receive “priority seating” at the show.
It won't be branded as a Top Gear event though, as the BBC's official statement explains:
“So as not to disappoint the thousands of people around the world who have already purchased tickets, BBC Worldwide has agreed with our joint venture partner Brand Events that the remainder of the tour can continue. These events will not however feature any BBC Top Gear branding or content. We believe this is a sensible approach in the circumstances.”
According to the Daily Mail, the show has been (rather cumbersomely) renamed 'Clarkson, Hammond and May Live' and the BBC will still pocket half of the proceeds.
The broadcaster is also said to be making “appropriate arrangements” to ensure that Clarkson doesn't bad-mouth the BBC.
Let's see how that goes down.