Jeremy Clarkson sacked from BBC's Top Gear

Jeremy Clarkson, veteran British journalist, TV presenter and celebrity, has been sacked from the BBC's motoring show Top Gear, which was recently voted "the most watched factual programme on television." 

The 54 year old TV personality has faced a volley of criticism and was subjected to repeated warnings due to instances of racial slur usage, provocative comments regarding political figures and fellow journalists, as well as his uncompromising stance on world politics and history. The latest incident saw Jeremy hurl unprovoked verbal abuse at and physically assault a senior Top Gear producer, Oisin Tymon, revolving around a dinner of cold cuts instead of steaks served up by Tymon. The producer had to receive medical attention afterwards for a broken lip.

Jeremy Clarkson's official Twitter profile info has already been updated.

According to the official investigation, released by the BBC, Clarkson himself reported the incident to BBC higher-ups after personally apologising to Tymon. Following a thorough investigation, Jeremy Clarkson was dropped from Top Gear.

In an official statement, BBC's Director General Tony Hall had this to say about Clarkson and his sacking: "Obviously none of us wanted to find ourselves in this position. 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. Jeremy is a huge talent. He may be leaving the BBC but I am sure he will continue to entertain, challenge and amuse audiences for many years to come."

What happens to Top Gear? As always, the show must go on.

"The BBC must now look to renew Top Gear for 2016. This will be a big challenge and there is no point in pretending otherwise. I have asked Kim Shillinglaw to look at how best we might take this forward over the coming months. I have also asked her to look at how we put out the last programmes in the current series."

Clarkson's co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May reacted to the news on Twitter and news media, lamenting the dismissal of their friend and colleague. James May insisted that the three are a "package" that "works well because of complicated factors", which lent the millions of Top Gear fans worldwide hope of seeing the three in action again.

A quote from a Facebook page with May's comments sums it up: "These 3 could paint a fence for an hour and I'd still watch them religiously." (Zachary Miles Johnson).

Almost 25 years of Top Gear and Jeremy Clarkson later, its easy to see how much impact one man has had on the fate of a TV show that many would classify as a niche programme. A vocal critic of the British local government's apparent ineptness at handling motorists and an ardent opposer of speeding laws on highways, Clarkson excelled at delivering informed opinions in a facetious manner that sat well with the masses.

The explosion of hashtags and Tweets following Clarkson's sacking in the hours following the news is testament to that. Whatever happens, Clarkson holds sway over millions of fans worldwide who would jump to a new show and new network if he were to try his luck elsewhere, and how Top Gear turns out in the wake of all of this will be interesting to watch. Its fair to note that Top Gear USA did not do well, and it might only be a matter of time before Top Gear starts losing viewers.  

Sources:

BBC

Top Gear official blog

SkyNews