Jeremy Clarkson may be derided for his dress sense and antiquated views here in the UK, but in Japan he has usurped David Beckham as the country's most popular Englishman.

"The Japanese can't get enough," one expat told us "Clarkson is everywhere."

Big in Japan

And indeed he is, with lucrative contracts for drinks, bouffant hair products and luxury denim tailors.

A Japanese Jeremy Clarkson lookalike even has his own TV show, although the producers hope to replace him with the real Jeremy Clarkson in the near future.

The astonishing thing is that Clarkson is not so much unaware of his fame in the land of the rising sun, as he doesn't "give a caramelo flan" - allowing others to take his name and image, turning into a successful brand, with little input from the man himself.

Now it seems every one seems to want a slice of the pie, or rather the flan.

American Pop Idol winner Kelly Clarkson descending on Japan for a short tour but as one promoter told us "ticket sales have been pretty bad, so some agents have started putting it about that Kelly is Jeremy's daughter, it's a little improbable, but it seems to be working, sales are up 250%."

Kelly found the Clarkson name opened doors

Whatever next?

A programme about Class A drugs called Top Gear?

Posted by damian at April 15, 2005 07:53 PM