Adeal to make Top Gear satellite navigations voiced by Jeremy Clarkson has crashed – after BBC bosses said it breached editorial guidelines that prevent the show’s presenters endorsing motoring products. Around 54,000 devices had already been made, and many delivered to shops before the blunder became apparent.
The satnavs will still be sold but BBC Worldwide – the corporation’s commercial arm, which struck the deal - will no longer make any profit from the product. Its proceeds will now be given to Children In Need, to get round the problem.
The Top Gear devices were being rush-released for the Christmas market and were expected to be a huge hit among fans of the BBC2 show. A BBC Worldwide spokesman said “launch plans were too advanced to prevent the physical product going on sale in retail outlets” by the time the problem was identified.