While Jeremy Clarkson’s contract was not renewed, his last Top Gear footage will end up airing after all. The BBC also said that Clarkson isn’t actually banned from the network forever.
Back in March, BBC director general Tony Hall announced that Clarkson’s contract would not be renewed after he was suspended for attacking producer Oisin Tymon. Police said that Clarkson will not be charged for the incident.
While the BBC initially pulled all remaining Top Gear episodes from the schedule, The Week reports that BBC2 and BBC4 Controller Kim Shillinglaw said the episodes will air this summer.
Shillinglaw also said that there is no ban on Clarkson, so he could return to the BBC if he wanted to in time.
“It's serious and unfortunate what happened but there is no ban on Jeremy being on the BBC,” Shillinglaw said. “It's a big deal what happened and Jeremy, as any human being would, needs some time.”
In his most recent Sunday Times column, Clarkson said that he has felt lost since his Top Gear contract was not renewed. He also said that he wants to start a new car show. Lastly, he said that his “fracas” with Tymon came after his doctor told him that he might have cancer.
Clarkson has been the face of Top Gear for over a decade, helping the show become an international phenomenon. The show airs in the U.S. on BBC America.
for more television news, follow Daniel on Twitter at @dsl89
image courtesy of Famous/ACE/INFphoto.com