Top Gear performs U-turn over Jeremy Clarkson satnav - The Guardian

The BBC has been forced into an embarrassing U-turn after it was revealed that a deal to make Top Gear satnavs voiced by Jeremy Clarkson breached its own editorial guidelines.

About 54,000 of the devices had already been made, and many of them delivered to shops, before the blunder became apparent.

The BBC's commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, will now will now donate all proceeds from the sales to Children In Need to bypass rules that prevent the show's presenters endorsing motoring products.

The Top Gear satnav features Clarkson giving instructions in typically sardonic style – amusing for Top Gear fans, no doubt, but it may begin to grate on the 100th journey.

"Keep left – if you're not sure which side left is you really shouldn't be on the road," he tells drivers.

"After 700 yards, assuming this car can make it that far, you have reached your destination, with the aid of 32 satellites and me – well done."

The corporation's commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, said no more of the Top Gear satnavs, made by TomTom, would be produced.

A plan to allow existing TomTom owners to download Clarkson's voice to update their models has now been dropped.

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.

The spokesman added: "In order to avoid any perception of a conflict of interest in the minds of viewers, BBC Worldwide and TomTom have agreed that all monies that would have been due to BBC Worldwide will be paid to BBC Children in Need, together with an additional charitable donation by TomTom."

The TomTom Go Live Top Gear edition was being rush-released for the Christmas market and was expected to be a huge hit among fans of the BBC2 show.

But senior BBC figures felt it breached a rule that says presenters "must take particular care not to endorse any product or service which could be covered in the programmes on which they work".

A source said the costs in terms of compensation to TomTom incurred by BBC Worldwide had been "negligible". It is understood the electronics firm will talk to Worldwide about further voice deals.

BBC Worldwide made profits of £160m on sales of nearly £1.2bn in 2010-2011. It has targeted profits in excess of £200m for 2012.

Clarkson, who had no role in setting up the deal, will not make any money from the sale of the 54,000 devices already made.

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