Jeremy Clarkson cleared by British regulator  for likening Japanese hybrid car to the Elephant Man

We read:

"Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson has been cleared of any wrongdoing after comparing the shape of a new Japanese car to the Elephant Man.  Controversial Clarkson said the  Japanese car and camper van hybrid looked like 'people with growths on their faces'.   He then mimicked the famous disfigured Victorian man Joseph Merrick - played by actor John Hurt in the 1980 film - as he spoke about the car.

The brand of the car was not mentioned on the show but is believed to be a Prius

The star slurred his speech saying that the car resembled something you would not talk to at a party. Richard Hammond then dubbed it the 'elephant car'.

His behaviour on the BBC motoring show Top Gear in February sparked outrage with the boss of a disfigurement charity saying such comments led to ridicule and bullying.  Broadcasting watchdog Ofcom received 41 complaints from outraged viewers and the BBC more than 55.  But despite this, Ofcom announced its decision today not to proceed with the complaints.

A spokesman said that, after careful assessment, Ofcom had decided not to pursue them because they did not raise issues warranting investigation.  He said: 'Ofcom recognises that the comments were potentially offensive to individuals living with facial disfigurement.  'However, on balance, we believe that they would not have exceeded the likely expectation of the audience, and any potential offence was justified by the context.'

But he added: 'We have informed the BBC of the issues raised by the complainants so they can be taken into consideration for future programmes.'

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