'Jeremy is bigger than Top Gear' Original Stig - Perry McCarthy shows support for Clarkson

HE WORKED with Jeremy Clarkson during the first two series of Top Gear and Perry McCarthy, the original Stig, has spoken about his former colleague's suspension.

The original Stig Perry McCarthy supports Jeremy ClarksonWENN

The original Stig Perry McCarthy is supporting Jeremy Clarkson

The former racing driver, 54, spoke to Good Morning Britain this morning and said Top Gear would be 'damaged goods' without presenter Jeremy.

Talking to Susanna Reid and Ben Shephard, Perry said there would be a line of people queueing up to take Jeremy’s job if he left the BBC.

The former Top Gear star said: "We all normally say 'nobody is bigger than the programme' except this time, I think Jeremy is bigger than Top Gear, I really do, That’s my personal opinion.

I always found Jeremy to be just great fun

The original Stig

"And if Top Gear were to go on without him, it would be damaged goods. It wouldn’t be as valuable, it wouldn’t be as enjoyable and who’d want to see it without Jeremy? I wouldn't."

Jeremy was involved in a furious bust-up which led to his Top Gear suspension earlier this week. Fans of the show clamoured online for the reinstatement of the presenter yesterday.

Speaking about working with the suspended presenter, Perry said: "I always found Jeremy to be just great fun.

"Jeremy will pull your chain, there's no question about it, he's looking for a reaction, he wants to have fun so he’s up for a bit of banter but I always think of Jeremy as just being mischievous."

He added: "I like the bloke so I always found him to be just good fun, very professional and very creative."

The original Stig Perry McCarthy supports Jeremy ClarksonWENN

The former Stig, known as the original, spoke out in support of the presenter

The original Stig Perry McCarthy supports Jeremy ClarksonWENN

Jeremy Clarkson has been suspended from his job at Top Gear

Perry worked on the show for the first two seasons and wore all black; the new Stig wears all white and as of yet hasn't been identified.

Speaking about the team, he said: "I think they work pretty well as a team. Jeremy always struck me as somebody who had a very strong idea about everything.

"[He] would drag something forward and [when] you’ve got that creative energy you want to push forward as hard as you can but I don’t feel he always had to be right... If someone had a better idea - and it would have to be a really good idea to be better - but if they did it’s just about making the end product right."

BBC director general Lord Hall said: "We have got an investigation going on. I am a fan of Jeremy Clarkson but this is a serious thing that is alleged to have taken place."

The Stig - Top Gear Guide to Britain

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