Today it was officially announced that Jeremy Clarkson will not be returning to Top Gear, following the internal investigation carried out after the presenter was involved in an incident with the shows producer. The row, which took place in a Yorkshire hotel, was said to have occurred because no hot food was provided following a day’s filming.
This is a huge decision for the BBC as its the most successful and lucrative programme they produce and many feel that Clarkson plays a key role in this success.
Last week members of his fan club arrived at the BBC headquarters in London, dressed as The Stig, driving a tank with a petition in hand that had over 1 million signatures – all asking for Clarkson to be reinstated.
Announcing his decision after the internal investigation had been carried out, Lord Hall said Clarkson’s dismissal was unavoidable.
“For me a line has been crossed. There cannot be one rule for one and one rule for another dictated by either rank, or public relations and commercial considerations.”
However, he added: “This decision should in no way detract from the extraordinary contribution that Jeremy Clarkson has made to the BBC. I have always personally been a great fan of his work and Top Gear.”
It is now unclear whether or not the show will continue as co-presenters James May and Richard Hammond have previously said they did not want to continue the show without Jeremy Clarkson.
James May’s reaction to the news that Clarkson won’t be returning to Top Gear…
All three of the presenters contracts were up for renewal this year so it will be interesting to see if either James May or Richard Hammond will return to the BBC. It is likely that another network will seek out Clarkson due to his popularity and the proven success on the Top Gear format. There are rumours suggesting that Netflix have been in touch with Clarkson about making a series with them.
Lord Hall said he had asked BBC Two controller Kim Shillinglaw to handle “big challenge” of renewing Top Gear for 2016, and to investigate how the channel could broadcast the last three episodes of the current series, which were pulled when Clarkson was suspended.