Former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson has insisted he has “absolutely no idea” what his future holds – but he is “not going to be a milkman”.

In his first interview since being axed as the show’s presenter following his attack on producer Oisin Tymon, Jeremy said he was busier than ever – despite being unemployed.

But he told Chris Evans’s breakfast show on Radio 2 that getting axed from Top Gear, which he described as “my baby”, had left “a big hole” which was “my own silly fault”.

Jeremy Clarkson grabbed his chance to kick Piers Morgan when he was down (Ian West/PA)
Jeremy Clarkson has been speaking on Radio 2 (Ian West/PA)

Jeremy, Richard Hammond and James May are believed to be negotiating with a streaming service like Netflix or Amazon.

But Jeremy said he had just been “listening” to offers from broadcasters and added: “I’m just getting really good at tennis.”

A cheerful-sounding Jeremy said he was “extremely well” and added: “It’s amazing being unemployed. You get busier than if you actually have a job.

“I’ve been playing tennis – for two hours yesterday – my forehand is improving immeasurably.”

op Gear presenters James May, Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond
Former Top Gear presenters James May, Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond (Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)

Jeremy will be leaving London for Belfast today for what was Top Gear Live but has now been renamed Clarkson, Hammond and May Live.

He said he was looking forward to “six months clowning around doing live shows” but called it “the most badly organised world tour in history”.

“Somebody needs an atlas, somebody has done it by alphabet … I’m going to spend most of the next six months with James, who’s extremely smelly, and Richard on an aeroplane,” he said.

The BBC plans to relaunch Top Gear with new presenters. Chris was linked to the reboot but has ruled himself out.

Chris Evans
Chris Evans (Yui Mok/PA Wire)

At the end of the interview, Jeremy, who had posed for selfies with fans, left Broadcasting House with Chris, in the passenger seat of the DJ’s red Ferrari.

Jeremy told the show he could work with the BBC again because, although his contract was not renewed, he was “not sacked, remember”.

He refused to criticise the BBC, saying that although there were some “dreadful people” at the broadcaster there were also some very “talented people”.

“It’s a great organisation, I’m never going to complain about it,” he said.

He said that the final Top Gear shows featuring the trio, which were not broadcast earlier this year following Jeremy’s suspension, were being edited and would be shown.

Chris played Jeremy a recording of the star speaking a year ago, when he said that if he did ever lose his Top Gear job he could do something else, even be a milkman.

Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Clarkson (Jonathan Brady/PA)

The star said: “I’m not going to be a milkman, that’s for damn sure, not with those early starts. That was hypothetical, now it’s more sort of real.”

He said of his axing: “It’s my own silly fault so I can hardly complain. I was at the BBC for 27 years, in the current incarnation for 12 and Top Gear was very much my baby.

“I absolutely adored it (Top Gear) and worked all through the night and paid attention to absolutely every little detail of it and then suddenly you are not asked to do that any more and you do feel there’s a big hole that needs to be filled.”

He joked that the three presenters were working on a flower-arranging show, adding: “It was very sudden (leaving Top Gear) and you’d be a fool to jump out there.”

Jeremy said he joined the BBC when it was “black and white” and everyone “talked fast” and added: “You emerge after 27 years … in the meantime I’m just getting really good at tennis.”

He denied that he was in talks with broadcasters, saying: “We’ve just been listening … I haven’t had a single meeting.”

Jeremy is set to drive around the Top Gear track one last time for charity and admitted it will be “emotional”