Let's be honest here: we all had our doubts about Hammond following his 288mph crash in 2006. Not only about whether or not he would survive, but if he did, would he be the same? Would he have suffered permanent damage? However, while addressing those concerns when a recovered Hammond returned to the show the next year, most people would have approached the subject with a little more care than Clarkson did. "Are you now a mental?" was his question, followed by May offering a tissue "in case he dribbles". The joke is clearly well-intentioned and light-hearted banter between mates, but on national television, picking your words carefully is usually a good idea. In what has likely become standard practice by now, the BBC defended the comment as jokes, but did issue apologies to those offended, and acknowledged that they may have been upsetting to disabled or brain-damaged viewers.
