Jeremy Clarkson and James May were caught on camera making jokes about the killing of Reeva Steenkamp by Oscar Pistorious during a Top Gear live show in Johannesburg. Clarkson was recently sacked by the BBC and replaced with Chris Evans.

Jeremy ClarksonJeremy Clarkson made a joke about the killing of Reeva Steenkamp in South Africa

During the show, Clarkson pretended to accidentally shoot a member of the audience with a paintball gun, before saying, "I thought he was burglar."

May then asked: "Was that member of the audience you shot in the bathroom?"

More: Is Jeremy Clarkson planning a Top Gear rival show?

Paralympian Pistorious was sentenced to five years in jail in October for killing his girlfriend Steenkamp on Valentine's Day 2013. The athlete claimed he shot Steenkamp through a locked bathroom door after mistaking her for a burglar. 

Clarkson, May and Richard Hammond were performing under the name Clarkson, Hammond & May Live after the presenter's suspension led to the BBC taking away his right to use the Top Gear brand. The corporation moved quickly to hire Radio 2 DJ Evans as Clarkson's replacement and are opening auditions to find his co-presenters.

Meanwhile, the Top Gear trio are expected to announce within weeks they are reuniting for a new TV show, rumoured to be on the streaming service Netflix. The company is looking to differentiate itself in te competitive streaming market by commissioning quality original content such as House of Cards and Orange is the New Black. A motoring show featuring Clarkson, Hammond and May would be a considerable coup, despite the controversy at the BBC.

More: Leonardo DiCaprio signs deal with Netflix