The BBC has finally decided that it will not bring Jeremy Clarkson back to host another season of the international hit car show Top Gear. Clarkson’s often-controversial tenure at the show came to a head earlier this month, when he was suspended after a “fracas” with a producer.
On Tuesday, The Telegraph reported that the BBC had finished its investigation into the incident and determined that Clarkson did attack producer Oisin Tymon at a North Yorkshire hotel. As a result, the BBC decided that it could not bring him back.
BBC director general Tony Hall made it official today, stating that “a line has been crossed.” Hall said he “cannot condone what has happened on this occasion.”
Clarkson was suspended on March 10 and episodes of the series were pulled from the BBC schedule. During that time, Clarkson has remained active on Twitter, even writing yesterday that he had not heard anything yet.
He did thank supporters last week, writing, “Many many thanks to all of the people who have called for my reinstatement. I'm very touched. We shall all learn next week what will happen.”
While Top Gear became one of the most successful non-fiction TV shows in the world under Clarkson’s tenure, the BBC had to often apologize for racially insensitive remarks he made during filming. In one incident, he was heard using the n-word, and was forced to apologize.
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