BBC won’t rule out Jeremy Clarkson’s possible return
The BBC, a day after announcing that former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson’s contract would not be renewed as he punched a producer, has said it would not rule out his return in the future.
The BBC’s creative director Alan Yentob said Clarkson will remain employed until the end of this month when his contract ends, and that the broadcaster would not rule out the idea of him returning.
“Of course I wouldn’t rule that out, but that’s not for now,” he said.
Announcing the sacking yesterday, BBC director-general Lord Hall said that Clarkson had failed to maintain“standards of decency and respect” whilst working after an “unprovoked physical and verbal attack” on a producer.
He was found guilty of “a physical altercation accompanied by sustained and prolonged verbal abuse of an extreme nature” which left victim Oisin Tymon needing hospital treatment.
Despite calling Clarkson a “nob” [sic], co-host James May said the decision was a “tragedy”.
Yentob said it was“perfectly natural” for May, and third host Richard Hammond to have reservations about continuing the programme, but urged them to do so.
A petition set up by Guido Fawkes blogger on Change.org to bring back Clarkson has been signed by over a million people.
Clarkson has been accused of homophobia in the past.
He apologised last year for a tweet he sent containing a picture of himself with a sign saying “gay c*nt”.
Clarkson tweeted the image featuring fellow Top Gear host James May, along with the caption “Sadly, I fell asleep on the plane.
Piers Morgan tweeted to criticise the Top Gear presenter for the tweet, noting his “flabby neck”.
In 2010, Clarkson was criticised for appearing on the show with Alistair Campbell, and in a scene which was deleted saying: “I demand the right not to be bummed.”
