Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, James May
James May (left), Jeremy Clarkson (centre) and Richard Hammond presented their last Top Gear together on 28 May. The trio have since moved to Amazon Video, with new show The Grand Tour. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett

Jeremy Clarkson has claimed that BBC bosses didn't appreciate the hard work he and his team put into ensuring the success of Top Gear. Ahead of the launch of his new motoring show, The Grand Tour, the presenter said that he could already notice a difference in the way he was received by his new employers.

The TV veteran was sacked by the BBC back in April 2015 following a fracas at a Yorkshire hotel, during which he hit producer Oisin Tymon in a row over catering arrangements. The incident occurred a month after the star was given a "final warning" by the broadcaster for using racist language.

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Speaking to The Radio Times about his time at the Beeb, Clarkson said that they were never given the credit due, despite earning more than £50m (€56m) a year for the broadcaster.

He said: "When we finish a film on The Grand Tour we send it to Amazon, and they ring us up and squeak, 'It's brilliant, we love it! We can't wait! It's so good!

The 56-year-old host added: "You never got that from the BBC."

Out of loyalty Richard Hammond and James May left with Clarkson when he was given his marching orders. Chris Evans was named the main presenter of the Top Gear following the trio's departure, but it proved an uphill struggle to win over fans. The revamped show was blighted with reports of behind-the-scenes drama, plummeting ratings, with Evans bowing out after just one series.

During the candid sit down with Radio Times magazine, Clarkson admitted that describing Mexicans as "feckless, flatulent and lazy" on the BBC2 motoring show was one of the one lowest moments of his career and he felt compelled to apologise.

"Genuinely, if I looked back at the Top Gear Wikipedia section marked 'controversy', then Mexico is the one where we definitely got it wrong," he said. "I went to see the Mexican ambassador and apologised to him. I didn't have to, the Beeb didn't tell me to, but it was out of order... So we went down and said we were really sorry and got absolutely paralytic on tequila with him."

The Grand Tour will air on 18 November.