No decision yet on Jeremy Clarkson says BBC amid reports he will be "sacked"
Top Gear presenter is expected to learn his fate today following the BBC inquiry into an incident in a Yorkshire hotel while filming the BBC2 show
The BBC insists that no decision has yet been made on the fate of Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson amid reports that he will be sacked.
A BBC spokesman told RadioTimes.com late last night: “No decision has been made. When we have an outcome, we will announce it.”
Clarkson himself has also revealed that he has not been notified of the decision, tweeting this morning:
He is expected be told of the decision made by BBC director-general Tony Hall today [Wednesday] following an investigation by BBC Scotland boss Ken MacQuarrie into the incident which took place while filming the motoring show earlier this month.
The Daily Telegraph report today that MacQuarrie has found that Clarkson subjected producer Oisin Tymon to a lengthy tirade in a hotel in Yorkshire during filming of an episode of Top Gear, followed by a "30 second assault".
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The presenter was said to have been angry after being offered a cold platter of food following filming rather than steak and chips. However sources close to Clarkson have said that the presenter was also agitated following problems during the day’s shoot.
MacQuarrie's inquiry is thought to have taken place in various locations around London, partly in a bid to avoid the scrutiny of press photographers. His report was delivered to Hall on Monday morning.
Clarkson, along with co-hosts James May and Richard Hammond, was due to appear in live events in Stavanger, Norway, on March 27th and 28th. But the shows have now been postponed as Clarkson's disciplinary inquiry into allegedly punching Top Gear producer Oisin Tymon was unfinished at the time.
Top Gear, one of BBC2’s most popular shows, will face an uncertain future if Clarkson is dismissed.
It is understood that Hall and his management team want to continue airing the programme which is estimated to generate around £50m a year for the corporation’s commercial arm, BBC Worldwide.
But it remains to be seen if Clarkson’s co-presenters, James May and Richard Hammond, will stay on the show without him. Like Clarkson, their contracts were due for renewal at the end of this month.
However it is not clear whether non-compete clauses in the contracts of all three would prevent them taking a rival motoring show to another broadcaster, with Sky, ITV and Netflix also said to be interested in snapping up their services.
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