Jeremy Clarkson bags multi-million pound deal to promote BBC's Top Gear brand

London, June 23 : Jeremy Clarkson, renowned presenter of the programme 'Top Gear', has bagged a multi-million pound deal to promote the BBC show's "brand" across the world.

The deal comes at a time when the corporation is already facing flak for paying lucrative salaries to star presenters.

The commercial wing of the broadcaster, BBC Worldwide, has confirmed the deal.

However, it has not been revealed as yet how much will be Clarkson's profit-related fee.

Even other Top Gear presenters, Richard Hammond and James May, do not know anything about the deal.

Many believe that Clarkson's stake in the Top Gear brand may put him on a par with some of the BBC's highest-paid presenters, including Jonathan Ross.

"Top Gear has become a massive success story in the UK and all over the world. It has gone to another level: it is now a family programme - it's not just for men who like cars," the Telegraph quoted BBC's entertainment spokesman Philip Fleming as saying.

Some insiders have revealed that Clarkson may get take 49 per cent of all worldwide profits from the brand, something BBC Worldwide denies.

"What percentage he actually gets and how it works needs to remain confidential," Fleming said.

He even denied that Clarkson had been about to defect to ITV.

Clarkson was unavailable for comment.

ANI