Jeremy Clarkson and Piers Morgan fight it out on Twitter

THE presenter of Top Gear Jeremy Clarkson and US TV host Piers Morgan have traded insults in a no-holds-barred Twitter spat. With hilarious results.

WHEN a couple of towering egos go head-to-head on Twitter the results are likely to be explosive.

So it proved when Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson and Piers Morgan got involved in a bitter exchange on the social networking site.

The turf war started when Clarkson took exception to a Daily Mail column written by Morgan in which he described seeing the Top Gear presenter at the GQ Men of the Year awards in London.

The CNN host said Clarkson interrupted a conversation he was having with Justin Timberlake, Samuel L Jackson and Pharell Williams.

Morgan said the A-list stars had no idea who Clarkson was, referring to him as a "rude, pot-bellied oaf". He wrote: "I made an eye movement suggesting he move on before my A-list friends had their bodyguards remove him. He did."

Clarkson hit back on Twitter. What followed was a meteoric bust-up that betrayed both the self-regard and (dare we say it) touchiness of the two media big mouths. Clarkson claimed Morgan was exaggerating the ratings of his chat show, while Morgan cited rumours Top Gear was going to be axed.

Here are some of the best bits:

Last time I saw Piers Morgan, he was at a party listening to Samuel L Jackson and Justin Timberlake I was there with my friends.

— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) October 27, 2013

I'm going to bed now, happy at the news from CNN insiders that Piers Morgan will soon be sacked.

— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) October 27, 2013

Piers. Let's finish it with this. Your show attracts a global audience less than Cash in the Attic. That's why you're going to be sacked.

— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) October 27, 2013

Piers claims his show gets 500m viewers. Hahahahahaha. It's 110,000 on good day. About 380m behind Top Gear.

— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) October 27, 2013

I'd like to apologise to @JeremyClarkson - my mother always told me never to pick on little girls > pic.twitter.com/5A0uzJGDDM

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) October 28, 2013

You had your chance @JeremyClarkson - unfortunately you punch like a muscle-depleted chihuahua. So pipe down, you gnarled old fool.

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) October 27, 2013

I wonder if poor old @JeremyClarkson 's little hissy fit today is connected to Top Gear's disintegrating ratings & rumours it may be axed?

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) October 27, 2013