Top Gear last episode: Jeremy Clarkson takes swipe at BBC before apologising to fans

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Jeremy Clarkson made a parting shot at the BBC before the final episode of Top Gear with himself, Richard Hammond and James May as hosts aired on BBC Two last night.

The popular presenter's contract was not renewed following a "fracas" with a producer over hot food in a hotel last March and Chris Evans was recently announced as the hit motoring show's new host.

Clarkson described the last episode as "cobbled together from two films made before I was fired" in his Sun newspaper column last week before attacking the BBC for "talking it down" in a tweet sent yesterday afternoon. Hammond backed him up while May was more interested in the AC/DC gig he was attending.

The final instalment before Evans takes over was a 75-minute special that at one point saw Clarkson declare "I hate working on Top Gear" while stuck in a muddy river.

The trio were tasked with racing across farmlands in a bid to reach a black tie event at Broughton Hall, where the last person to arrive would have to give a speech.

Clarkson was present in video footage but missing from the studio where Hammond and May hosted without the usual live audience. The "elephant in the room" was addressed using a 10ft plastic replica elephant aptly named...Jeremy.

Other highlights included Hammond being strapped to the top of an aeroplane after winning the classic car challenge and a quiz in a pub with some of the show's producers.

Following the show, which received a mixed reaction on social media, Clarkson, Hammond and May all tweeted to thank fans for their support, with Clarkson apologising for how it ended.

Clarkson wrote in his column that he "won't miss making a car show because other broadcasters are available so I don't have to stop doing that".

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Reports suggest that the trio may have signed a deal with ITV to go head-to-head with Evans' Top Gear in the same 8pm Sunday night slot but this is only speculation at this stage.