An Icelandic volcano disrupts the world’s air traffic. What a story. The last time the world was grounded like this was World War 2, and I think it’s safe to say that there weren’t nearly as many people stranded in German airports at the time. Or any airport for that matter.

Luckily, we now have someone/something to blame. Top Gear, that massive British television show featuring chief mentalist and sometime car critic, Jeremy Clarkson, has been blamed for many things in the past. Thin-lipped woman with access to email and little else to do but form chihuahua organisations against everything on earth that is remotely fun have blamed the show for promoting smoking, driving, not using public transport, promoting swearing, promoting recklessness and of course, global warming.

And now it turns out we can blame them for grounding Europe. Awesome.

Click through for a (hilarious) press release from Top Gear, as well as an incredible gallery of pictures from the shoot on the volcano.

Here’s the full text, posted by Sam Phillips on the Top Gear blog:

The team used the same trucks that reached the North Pole in the spectacular race to the pole episode from a few years back. They modified the tyres to include a water cooler mechanism, which prevents the rubber from melting. Their were also lava-shields fitted to the roofs of the Toyotas. What a laugh.

Bonus: OverdriveTV interviews Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond in Cape Town

Ciro De Siena

www.youtube.com/watch?v=y40HwUtpvMY

Top Gear is massive. And no matter what you think of it’s chief-whip Jeremy Clarkson, the staggering success of the brand is undeniable. But watching it on telly is so…2D. Luckily, inspired by a pint or eight, the brains behind the show decided to make it live and take it around the world. Genius.

But let’s be honest, it could have been rubbish. It could have consisted of some depressed announcer making laughably unfunny jokes as a Chevrolet Spark crawled across a stage. Thankfully, Clarkson & Co have the imagination of seven year-olds and the budget of a Saudi prince, which unsurprisingly is a winning combination.

It’s difficult to describe the awesomeness of what you’re in for if you’ve managed to secure a seat at any of the shows in Cape Town or Johannesburg, and we sure as hell won’t spoil any of it for you. In the meantime though, we thought we’d bring you this: 8 minutes of Jeremy and Richard talking about everything from enviro-mentalism to which cars their kids refuse to go to school in, complete with a mic wire hanging across their faces (thanks Gav!). The best part is, they’re exactly as you see them on the tube, just smokier.

You could be one of these lucky audience members!

Last week we revealed that at last year’s show, Jeremy Clarkson found an enormous sex toy in Sasha Martinengo’s luggage. This week’s MPH Show fact is…did you know South Africa was the very first place outside of the UK that the Top Gear lads chose for their road show? Bet you feel a bit more special now, don’t you. Well you have just over a week left to get your tickets.

Head over to www.mphshow.co.za as soon as you can and read up all about it. If you’re too lazy to do that, click ‘read more’ below and you’ll find that we’ve copy/pasted all the details you need to know. There’s also a bonus opportunity to watch me interview Richard Hammond, sporting a hideous goatee (me, not Richard). Even more good news, I’ve never worn a goatee ever again.

No, that isn’t photoshopped and yes, that is Jeremy Clarkson, in South Africa, holding an enormous sex toy. That is also Richard Hammond holding some lady’s unmentionables. The best part about this whole scene is they’ve discovered these goodies in Sasha Martinengo’s luggage. Oh what fun to be a Top Gear presenter.

Besides the laddish pranks, Top Gear live is certainly worth a look, even if cars are about as exciting for you as choosing tiles with your missus. For your money you will see ludicrously expensive supercars doing doughnuts in an impossibly tight space. You will see the Stig outrun aliens in old muscle cars, using a little Rage buggy which sounds like the devil screaming. You will be subjected to a 3D finale which will scare the willies out of you and you will leave feeling absolutely bloody wonderful.

And we should know, we haven’t missed a show since they started coming to SA. Head over to www.mphshow.co.za and get moving, this one’s going to sell out.