Sir Chris Hoy has said Jeremy Clarkson helped drive fundraising for his cancer charity to £1million after pressing wealthy helicopter-owning guests at an auction to put in more money.
The six-time Olympic champion launched the Tour de 4 cycling challenge following his diagnosis with terminal prostate cancer.
Clarkson, who is in remission after receiving treatment for prostate cancer himself, led an auction in aid of Tour de 4 at a clay pigeon shoot in Northamptonshire last month.
Sir Chris said that as the fundraising total edged towards £1million, the television presenter singled out those who had flown to the event by helicopter and told them to contribute an extra £10,000 each.
The fundraiser was organised by former Red Bull Formula 1 team principal Christian Horner and staged at the Marston Estate in Northamptonshire.
Speaking on his Sporting Misadventures podcast, Sir Chris, 50, said: ‘Jeremy Clarkson did the auction at the Tour de 4 clay shoot that Christian Horner put on and we raised £1 million in an afternoon.
‘We got to £850,000 with all the tickets and the tables and the auction and they wanted to hit £1million.
Clarkson, who is in remission after treatment for prostate cancer, hosted an auction for Tour de 4 at a Northamptonshire clay pigeon shoot last month
Hoy told how when the total neared the £1 million mark, the TV presenter approached everyone who had arrived at the event in a helicopter and told them to donate another £10,000 each
‘Jeremy said, ”Right there are people here who have arrived in helicopters. Everyone here who has got a helicopter, I want 10 grand”.
‘So he went around the room going, ”10 grand from you, 10 grand from you”, and he got £150,000 from people and that’s what made it up to £1 million.
‘It was astonishing. I don’t think anybody else would have got away with doing that but he has that presence.
‘It was a fantastic afternoon, really good fun.’
Mr Clarkson, 66, revealed on an episode of his Mr Clarkson’s Farm Amazon series released in June that he had been diagnosed with an ‘aggressive’ form of prostate cancer last year.
After it was caught early during a medical check, the former Top Gear and Grand Tour presenter underwent surgery to remove part of his prostate and has subsequently announced he is in remission.
Edinburgh-born Sir Chris revealed in 2024 that he has been diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer and has since become a campaigner for improved screening for the illness.
His wife Sarra found out she had multiple sclerosis shortly after but kept her diagnosis a secret to help support her husband through his cancer treatment.
The couple are currently organising their second Tour De four charity cycle challenge, which is being held in Glasgow this September.
Mr Clarkson, 66, revealed on an episode of his Mr Clarkson’s Farm Amazon series released in June that he had been diagnosed with an ‘aggressive’ form of prostate cancer last year
The inaugural event last year saw more than 5,000 people take part and raised a total of more than £3.1million for cancer charities.
Money raised from this year’s event will go towards Macmillan Cancer Support, Breast Cancer Now, Cure Leukaemia, Prostate Cancer UK and Maggie’s.
Mr Clarkson previously revealed that he had avoided the potentially life-changing side effects of prostate cancer surgery after getting the same state-of-the-art treatment as former prime minister David Cameron.
The presenter said he received Lord Cameron’s highly targeted focal therapy, which avoids side effects such as erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence.
One prostate cancer charity last night called for the minimally invasive technique, suitable to treat up to 17,000 men a year, to be adopted across the NHS.
He was treated in London last August, though it is not known if he had high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) at an NHS or private hospital.
The technique uses sound waves to kill the cancer.
