Top Gear presenters praised for standing against anti-LGBTQ+ laws in Brunei

From Digital Spy

Tonight's instalment of Top Gear (July 7) has been heavily praised by viewers for standing against the anti-LGBTQ+ laws recently announced in Brunei, Borneo – the location of the show's latest car-based challenge.

In the episode, presenters Paddy McGuinness and Freddie Flintoff were tasked with finding the cheapest rare cars possible to drive through the jungle of Borneo, with the help of the brilliant Gurkhas.

In the second half of the challenge, the boys met with the Sultan of Brunei who, after the show finished filming there, announced that homosexuality and adultery would be made punishable by death.

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Addressing the camera before the second half of the challenge, Paddy and Freddie made it perfectly clear that they, and the show, are strongly against these new laws, and that they wouldn't have visited Brunei had they been announced before filming.

Paddy began by saying: "The point of this film had always been to work with the Gurkhas and have a massive, off-road adventure in the jungle.

But the jungle the army sends the Gurkhas to train in is in Brunei, and the mystery car collector we were on our way to way to see was none other than the Sultan of Brunei who, it's fair to say, wasn't expecting us."

Freddie then added: "Now, after we landed back in the UK, having made this film, the Sultan announced new laws, making homosexuality and adultery punishable by death.

"As you can imagine, we were horrified. We'd obviously never have visited Brunei if that had been the case beforehand."

Paddy concluded: "And though there's a temporary halt on enforcing this law, we thought long and hard about showing this film. But the Gurkhas were brilliant, as were the men and women of Brunei, who helped make this journey possible. So part two is for them."

Back in the studio, the presenters revealed that they'd brought their cars back to the UK, although this time they looked very different.

To show what they think of Brunei's new laws, and to celebrate Pride month, the show had the two cars painted in the colours of the LGBTQ+ flag, a move that was met by heaps of praise from viewers.

One viewer tweeted: "Well done to @flintoff11 and @PaddyMcGuinness for using #TopGear to call out Brunei’s decision to bring in laws punishing homosexuality with the death penalty."

While another wrote: "What a great stand with #Pride2019 and what a way to show you are against what the Sultan of Brunei is trying to do in Brunei, well done lads."

Top Gear continues next Sunday at 8pm on BBC Two.

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