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| BBC will not renew Jeremy Clarkson contract – live updates | BBC will not renew Jeremy Clarkson contract – live updates |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 12.13pm GMT12:13 | |
| John Plunkett writes that Top Gear and Clarkson are valuable to the BBC and not just for the obvious reasons: | |
| Top Gear is so valuable to the BBC not just because it is watched by more than 5 million viewers on BBC2 and generates more than £50m a year worldwide for its commercial arm, but also because of the sort of people who watch it. | |
| Daily Mail columnist Stephen Glover suggested BBC executives didn’t like Clarkson because he is “insufferably right-wing, politically incorrect and in favour of terrible things such as capitalism”. | |
| That might be true of some of them, but it is precisely those attributes that also make Clarkson so valuable to the BBC, bringing a legion of viewers to the corporation who are not natural supporters of the licence fee. | |
| It helps explain why Tony Hall stuck by Clarkson last year after the N-word controversy, overruling director of television Danny Cohen who wanted to discipline him. | |
| 12.09pm GMT12:09 | |
| Former Conservative MP Louise Mensch suggests Clarkson could help the Tories out of a spot of bother: | |
| Isn't there a marginal seat where J. Clarkson could make the difference? Cough Dudley North cough | |
| Given that the Conservative’s last candidate for Dudley North, which has seen significant support for the BNP in recent times, resigned over allegations that he plotted with the EDL, it might not be the best way to assuage tensions in the area. | |
| 11.58am GMT11:58 | |
| Rupert Myers has written about what we’ll miss (or not) about Jeremy Clarkson. | |
| In the will miss column are: | |
| And the things that won’t be missed: | |
| So that’s a 5-5 score draw which means ...I’m not sure but Myers concludes: | |
| Clarkson’s supporters will never have suffered violence at the hands of a workplace superior. There is perhaps no greater indication of a person’s character than how they treat people who work for them. Talent is no excuse for violence. | |
| 11.41am GMT11:41 | |
| The Telegraph reported that the cause of the fracas was the Top Gear presenter’s anger that he could not have steak and chips. | |
| The outburst came after Clarkson, who is one of the BBC’s best paid stars, was informed he could not have steak and chips after a day’s filming because the hotel where they were staying had stop serving hot food. | |
| 11.30am GMT11:30 | 11.30am GMT11:30 |
| So is this the end of Top Gear? Not according to my colleague John Plunkett. | So is this the end of Top Gear? Not according to my colleague John Plunkett. |
| He writes: | He writes: |
| The question now for the BBC is what happens to the other Top Gear presenters Richard Hammond and James May. | The question now for the BBC is what happens to the other Top Gear presenters Richard Hammond and James May. |
| The Top Gear trio’s contracts run out next week. Negotiations for new deals with May and Hammond have been put on hold during the investigation. | The Top Gear trio’s contracts run out next week. Negotiations for new deals with May and Hammond have been put on hold during the investigation. |
| The BBC will look to “reconstruct” the motoring show without Clarkson. May and Hammond both have presenting commitments on the BBC outside of Top Gear. | The BBC will look to “reconstruct” the motoring show without Clarkson. May and Hammond both have presenting commitments on the BBC outside of Top Gear. |
| Negotiations for new deals with May and Hammond have been put on hold during the investigation. | Negotiations for new deals with May and Hammond have been put on hold during the investigation. |
| Reports that the BBC has lined up Chris Evans to take over from Clarkson are believed to be incorrect. | Reports that the BBC has lined up Chris Evans to take over from Clarkson are believed to be incorrect. |
| The Radio 2 breakfast DJ, who has a huge car collection, told listeners today: “This is not true. Not only is it’s not true – it’s absolute nonsense.” | The Radio 2 breakfast DJ, who has a huge car collection, told listeners today: “This is not true. Not only is it’s not true – it’s absolute nonsense.” |
| As well as Evans, others who have been linked to the job include Jodie Kidd, Stephen Fry, Rowan Atkinson and even Alan Partridge. | As well as Evans, others who have been linked to the job include Jodie Kidd, Stephen Fry, Rowan Atkinson and even Alan Partridge. |
| Updated at 11.31am GMT | Updated at 11.31am GMT |
| 11.20am GMT11:20 | 11.20am GMT11:20 |
| The BBC’s decision comes in the face of a high-profile campaign to back Clarkson which included the support of David Cameron and his daughter Nancy. Cameron joked to the BBC that his daughter had threatened to go hunger strike unless the BBC restored Clarkson to the show. | The BBC’s decision comes in the face of a high-profile campaign to back Clarkson which included the support of David Cameron and his daughter Nancy. Cameron joked to the BBC that his daughter had threatened to go hunger strike unless the BBC restored Clarkson to the show. |
| Rupert Murdoch also tweeted in support of Clarkson last night: | Rupert Murdoch also tweeted in support of Clarkson last night: |
| How stupid can BBC be in firing Jeremy Clarkson? Funny man with great expertise and huge following. | How stupid can BBC be in firing Jeremy Clarkson? Funny man with great expertise and huge following. |
| A petition to reinstate Clarkson was delivered to the BBC headquarters in a tank on Friday. The Bring Back Clarkson petition, which calls for the “Freedom to Fracas” has been signed by more than one million people. | A petition to reinstate Clarkson was delivered to the BBC headquarters in a tank on Friday. The Bring Back Clarkson petition, which calls for the “Freedom to Fracas” has been signed by more than one million people. |
| 11.09am GMT11:09 | 11.09am GMT11:09 |
| Summary | Summary |
| Welcome to our live coverage of the BBC’s decision not to renew the contract of the controversial Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson. | Welcome to our live coverage of the BBC’s decision not to renew the contract of the controversial Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson. |
| Clarkson has presented his last edition of the popular show after a BBC internal inquiry into the front man’s alleged punch up with producer Oisin Tymon, the Guardian has confirmed, although we are still awaiting the official verdict. | Clarkson has presented his last edition of the popular show after a BBC internal inquiry into the front man’s alleged punch up with producer Oisin Tymon, the Guardian has confirmed, although we are still awaiting the official verdict. |
| Here’s an excerpt from our news story: | Here’s an excerpt from our news story: |
| BBC director general Tony Hall is expected to confirm on Wednesday that Jeremy Clarkson’s contract will not be renewed after the Top Gear presenter was involved in a 30-second physical assault on a producer. | BBC director general Tony Hall is expected to confirm on Wednesday that Jeremy Clarkson’s contract will not be renewed after the Top Gear presenter was involved in a 30-second physical assault on a producer. |
| Hall is understood to have come to the conclusion that he has “little alternative” but to end Clarkson’s BBC career, 16 days after he was suspended following a “fracas” with a member of the Top Gear production team. | Hall is understood to have come to the conclusion that he has “little alternative” but to end Clarkson’s BBC career, 16 days after he was suspended following a “fracas” with a member of the Top Gear production team. |
| A BBC investigation led by BBC Scotland boss Ken MacQuarrie is thought to have found that Clarkson engaged Oisin Tymon in a 30-second physical assault after a 20-minute verbal tirade. | A BBC investigation led by BBC Scotland boss Ken MacQuarrie is thought to have found that Clarkson engaged Oisin Tymon in a 30-second physical assault after a 20-minute verbal tirade. |
| It appears Clarkson has not been told the news yet: | It appears Clarkson has not been told the news yet: |
| Just to keep everyone up to date, I haven't heard a thing. | Just to keep everyone up to date, I haven't heard a thing. |
| Clarkson had been left in limbo for the last two weeks after he was suspended for what the corporation originally described as a “fracas”. He had been due to take part in four live Top Gear shows in Norway this week, but it was announced on Sunday they had been postponed. | Clarkson had been left in limbo for the last two weeks after he was suspended for what the corporation originally described as a “fracas”. He had been due to take part in four live Top Gear shows in Norway this week, but it was announced on Sunday they had been postponed. |
| Clarkson had appeared to have been expecting the sack by delivering a foul-mouthed rant against his BBC bosses at a charity event last week. | Clarkson had appeared to have been expecting the sack by delivering a foul-mouthed rant against his BBC bosses at a charity event last week. |
| “The BBC have fucked themselves ... It was a great show and they fucked it up.” Clarkson told the gala. | “The BBC have fucked themselves ... It was a great show and they fucked it up.” Clarkson told the gala. |
| He added: “I didn’t foresee my sacking but I would like to do one last lap.” | He added: “I didn’t foresee my sacking but I would like to do one last lap.” |
| Updated at 11.20am GMT | Updated at 11.20am GMT |