May – affectionately nicknamed 'Captain Slow' by fellow Top Gear presenters Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond – also spoke about the former's controversial recent joke about lorry drivers killing prostitutes, which received widespread condemnation, particularly coming as it did in the immediate wake of the Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand telephone scandal.

“I'm not sure where it came from,” the 45-year-old reflected. “There's obviously a popular myth about lorry drivers murdering prostitutes and it must be related to a news story from long ago, but I've either forgotten it or I missed it. We did put it through the compliance lot, and they said it was okay. Lorry drivers are free to go and kick Jeremy's head in if they see him by the side of the road!

“I don't think we debated it, and I wasn't really surprised it went in. It's exactly the sort of thing he'd say; it's Jeremy – he's being bombastic. I don't think anyone believes he actually means it. He doesn't think for a moment that all lorry drivers murder prostitutes. He's being deliberately fatuous; it's what he does.”