Steve Coogan has spoken out against the presenters ofTop Gear, indulging in what he calls "three rich, middle-aged men laughing at poor Mexicans", with remarks which were "about as funny as a cold sweat followed by shooting pains down the left arm".
In a spirited argument in today's Guardian, he added he was a huge fan of the show, on which he had appeared as a guest three times and would love to appear again, adding "but I think that's unlikely once they have read this".
The remarks which have caused Coogan such ire came when Richard Hammond panned Mexican cars as "lazy, feckless, flatulent, overweight, leaning against a fence asleep looking at a cactus, with a blanket with a hole in the middle on as a coat".
James May called Mexican food "sick with cheese on it".
And Jeremy Clarkson suggested the Mexican ambassador would be so busy sleeping he wouldn't register any outrage - this proved not to be true.
Coogan also panned the BBC's apology over the comments as "mealy-mouthed" and "pitiful", and suggested "tolerance of casual racism"
The star of The Trip and Alan Partridge pointed out, "There is a strong ethical dimension to the best comedy. Not only does it avoid reinforcing prejudices, it actively challenges them. Put simply, in comedy, as in life, we ought to think before we speak."
STEVE COOGAN: "Richard has his tongue so far down the back of Jeremy's trousers he could forge a career as the back end of a pantomime horse. His attempt to foster some Clarkson-like maverick status with his "edgy" humour is truly tragic. He reminds you of the squirt at school as he hangs round Clarkson the bully, as if to say, "I'm with him". Meanwhile, James May stands at the back holding their coats as they beat up the boy with the stutter."
Coogan also made the point that such attitudes are prevalent in motoring journalism, of which he remains an avid reader - "I have to wade through a sea of lazy cliches to get to anything genuinely illuminating."
Coogan remained in good spirits throughout the piece, saying it was because of the programme's great success that it carried such a responsibility, particularly abroad where it carries a louder voice for the BBC than that even of the World Service.