Top Gear Boss On Show's Meteoric Rise, BBC Exit & Clarkson Sacking | Andy Wilman (E382)
The High Performance Podcast
High Performance
4.8 • 4.7K Ratings
🗓️ 8 December 2025
⏱️ 82 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Andy Wilman is the legendary executive producer behind Top Gear and The Grand Tour, the creative force who helped turn a small, ageing motoring show into one of the most-watched programmes on the planet.
In this revealing conversation, Andy sits down with Jake to open up about the chaotic, brilliant, and often bruising journey behind the scenes. From the early days when Top Gear was “held together by accidents,” to the lightning-in-a-bottle chemistry that formed between Clarkson, Hammond and May, Andy explains how a mix of creative instinct, insecurity, and outright stubbornness shaped the show’s rise.
He also discusses the strange alchemy behind iconic ideas like The Stig, the happy mistakes that became formats, and the moments where the team’s success began to run away from them. Andy reflects on the personal cost of building a global juggernaut: the burnout, the pressure of chasing ever-bigger audience numbers, the fear of being “found out,” and the toll it took on his home life and mental health..
This episode goes far beyond cars. It’s a conversation about leadership, the dangers of unchecked momentum, the creative magic that comes from imperfection, and the deeper human truth Andy only recognised with hindsight: that success means nothing if you never stop long enough to enjoy it.
Want the exclusive story on the high-stakes Amazon deal that launched The Grand Tour? Watch Andy on 'The Room Where It Happened' with Jake.
Surfshark 👉 Go to https://highpfrmc.com/HPP_Surfshark_AU or use code HIGHPERFORMANCE at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN!
Simba 👉 Jake believes better performance starts with better sleep. Discover Simba, start your 200-night trial today now:
https://highpfrmc.com/hpp-simba-au
Vestiaire Collective 👉: Buy and sell preloved menswear now: https://highpfrmc.com/vestiaire-au
Babbel 👉 Learn a new Language and get up to 55% off your subscription at: https://highpfrmc.com/HPP-Babbel-AU
Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong.
Gemini Intergalactic UK, Ltd is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority, under Firm Reference Number: 921817
HP Foundation 👉Do you want to kick-start an evolution that will change the lives of millions of children? Find out more about the High Performance Foundation: https://hppod.co/foundation
HP Corporate Events 👉Click here to book High Performance Events: https://hppod.co/corporate-events
Explore offers and discounts through our other partners:
https://hppod.co/partners
Andy’s book ‘Mr Wilman’s Motoring Adventure’ is out now and available to purchase - https://hppod.co/mr-wilmans-motoring-adventure-clarkson
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | We get all the death threats piling in from Mexico, and I'll do a little run-up how this all starts to come to be. |
| 0:08.0 | Death threats. Oh, tons. |
| 0:09.0 | It was on me, you know, in my head. I am the one who's going to have killed him. |
| 0:14.0 | How can I live with myself anymore? You know, it was like that. |
| 0:18.0 | Do you realize how much our show was falling apart of the seams? |
| 0:20.9 | The wheels were coming off. |
| 0:22.4 | He knew this now, this huge thing was in jeopardy, and he was waiting for his punishment. |
| 0:29.5 | Hey, just a really quick note to say, thank you so much to all of our new subscribers. |
| 0:34.0 | And if you haven't yet subscribed, why not? |
| 0:36.7 | It means you're the first to know about brand new episodes of high performance |
| 0:39.3 | and it also means we can attract incredible new guests to the show. |
| 0:43.3 | So please hit subscribe right now. |
| 0:45.3 | Enjoy the show. |
| 0:51.3 | Andy, welcome to the show. |
| 0:52.3 | Coffee in my mouth. |
| 0:55.5 | Thank you. |
| 0:56.2 | Thanks for having me on. |
| 0:58.5 | Through me. |
| 0:59.4 | I love your book, Mr. Wilman's Motoring Adventures. |
| 1:02.5 | One of the things that comes through in the book is that without the brain and the drive |
| 1:07.8 | and the occasional madness of Jeremy Clarkson, very little of what |
| 1:12.1 | you've been involved in would have happened. |
... |
Transcript will be available on the free plan in 15 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from High Performance, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of High Performance and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.