“Manchester is not Britain’s second city, it’s the first” – Jeremy Clarkson

Jeremy Clarkson has never been one to mince his words—especially when it comes to Manchester.

The outspoken TV personality has taken more than a few swipes at the city over the years, painting it as a dreary, drizzle-drenched outpost best avoided at all costs.

But in a surprising twist, the man who once scoffed at the North  appears to have had a change of heart.

After a visit, Clarkson found himself unexpectedly dazzled by Manchester’s architecture, its vibrancy, and, most shockingly, the weather.

Yes, the man who famously called Salford a mere Starbucks-lined suburb is now waxing lyrical about the city’s unexpected transformation into a British Berlin.

Has Manchester secretly been waiting for its moment to prove him wrong all along?

Or has Clarkson just finally seen the light? Either way, his comments are a fascinating insight into a grudging admiration for a place he once dismissed.

Jeremy Clarkson on Manchester

Mr Clarkson has never been a fan of Manchester and isn’t afraid to say so.

People of Manchester. It’s not raining and there is electricity. Welcome to London

— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) April 14, 2013

He once said he would rather stop presenting Top Gear than move north with the BBC and described Salford as “a small suburb with a Starbucks and a canal with ducks”.

In case you’ve never heard of him, Mr Clarkson is a journalist and TV personality who is fond of cars, especially when they are driven very fast.

Who is Jeremy Clarkson?

He used to be one of the hosts of Top Gear but was sacked after an “unprovoked physical attack” on a producer. He then presented The Grand Tour on Amazon, and Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

He now presents Clarkson’s Farm on Amazon Prime, which is proving to be another big success.

Writing in his column for the Sunday Times, he talked about his recent visit to the city he calls “a run-down, jumped-up, drizzle-soaked swamp”, and expressed his surprise.

He was surprised by “some magnificently restored Victorian warehouses and genuinely interesting modern architecture.”

He was surprised by the people.

When he went to Rosso for a meal, “all the men had Action Man bodies, Ken doll hair and shrink-wrap suits. Their shoes were pointy and their cheek bones chiselled. And it wasn’t just in that restaurant. It was everywhere. Manchester makes Marbella look like La Paz. It’s bonkers and .. absolutely brilliant.”

He was surprised by the weather. “The sun was shining-this happens about once every 14 years in Manchester.

“The men peeled off their hermetic suits and replaced them with Orlebar Brown shorts, the women slipped into some dental floss and everyone headed for the waterside bars to hang out and mate.”

“Blingier than Marbella”

Manchester isn’t just blingier than Marbella: “Something has turned Manchester into a British Berlin. And that…is high praise.”

Work over, he headed back to London. “It felt dowdy and monochromatic. Manchester is not Britain’s second city. It’s the first.”

High praise indeed. But wait a minute. There’s a sting in the tail.

“It’s the city that best represents the culture we have now. Fake breasts, Ferraris and football.”

Mr Clarkson is from Doncaster. He is clearly bonkers and .. absolutely brilliant.