Has Richard Hammond gone all girly?
So on Sunday night I settled down on the sofa, like most of the British population, for the new series of the fantastic Top Gear - the programme for people who like silly blokes.
But oh dear oh dear oh dear. What on earth is Richard Hammond wearing? I know he's the girliest presenter on the testosterone-laden programme by a long shot, but even so someone should have had a word in his ear about that jacket. Whatever was written on it, it looked too well-designed, as if it was a jacket from Top Shop that a girlfriend had bought for her reluctant fella. Which, come to think of it, is probably what happened. (bear in mind I'm not usually moved to write in an angry fashion about what television presenters are wearing!)
But it gets worse. During the film the presenters made driving around Europe in super sportcars looking for the ideal road, Richard is always seen wearing a namby-pamby necklace. Not a silver or gold one, but a chunky black one. Just like the kind of necklace I was reluctantly persuaded into wearing during one summer weekend in Italy. And it looked as wrong and girly on him as it did on me.
He's a television presenter. He's run PR agencies. He ought to know what is relatively acceptable and unacceptable to a Top Gear audience. What gives?
And another thing, the Top Gear team seem to have decided that what makes a great road primarily consists of steep bends and turns up and down sheer mountain peaks. Have they ever tried driving into mid-Wales late at night? It's not exhilerating then, let me tell you - mind-numbingly dull, tedious and dangerous comes to mind. Give me six shimmering lanes of concrete any day of the week!