Romanian Ambassador In London Asks Top Gear To Reedit Episode Shot In Romania

The Romanian Government asked the Top Gear producers to edit out a series of "offensive" remarks referring to the country, made by show host Jeremy Clarkson in an episode shot in Romania, Sunday Express daily said on its website.

Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond shot in Romania the first episode of the new Top Gear series broadcast on BBC 2. When he went to Romania's rural areas Clarkson put on a pork-style hat and said he entered "Borat's country", referring to Sacha Baron Cohen's movie.

During the episode broadcast last week, Clarkson said "I'm wearing this hat so the gypsies think I am one. I'm told they can be violent if they don't like the look of you."

Another "offensive" remark concerned some villagers who were building a house and of whom Clarkson said they were building "gallows", Sunday Express reports.

Clarkson is also seen washing his face and saying "cool, refreshing communist water", Sunday Express said, adding the remark was made although Romania is not led by communists and "is unlikely to remain a socialist democracy after elections being held there."

Sunday Express said the Romanian ambassador in London intervened saying he is "surprised and disappointed" by the references to Borat and the "gypsies".

Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the fact that Jinga addressed a letter to the producers of Top Gear, as some of the remarks made by Clarkson about Romania are not real, namely "Borat country", "gypsy country".

In his letter, the ambassador showed his appreciation for the show, highlighted the press' freedom of expression and the non-discriminatory spirit and the fact that 89.5% of the country's population is Romanian, 6.5% is ethnic Hungarians, 2.5% are ethnic Roma and 1.5% are other ethnic groups, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Alin Serbanescu told MEDIAFAX.

Serbanescu said the ambassador's letter came in the context in which Clarkson made some offensive remarks about Romania that do not correspond to reality, and the episode containing those remarks was also broadcast on BBC and was to be distributed worldwide.

The Press Service of Romania's Embassy in London also confirmed the fact that Jinga addressed a letter to the car show's producers regarding the remarks about Romania, but received no answer so far.

According to Sunday Express, Jinga said he is confident the producers will edit out the remarks he referred to in his letter.

Top Gear shot the first episode of a new series in Romania at the Parliament Palace in capital city Bucharest, in seaside resort Mamaia and on Transfagarasan, a mountain area in the central part of Romania.

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