Official: Clarkson road at BBC, incl. statement and facts [updated]

Posted on 25-03-2015 at 15:35 by MauritsH – 125 Responses”

March 25, 2015, a black day for car enthusiasts around the world.

Just the BBC announced that it was indeed over and close for the first half, schenenschopper that Jeremy Clarkson called. After several akkefietjes around racist statements and his martial arts-demo due to a lack of hot meat is the size now full. The contract of the presenter is not renewed, by the BBC themselves to the outside is established.

For such decisions to hear an official statement, we give the word to Tony Hall:

It is with great regret that I have told Jeremy Clarkson today that the BBC will not be renewing his contract. It is not a decision I have taken lightly. I have done so only after a very careful consideration of the facts and after personally meeting both Jeremy and Oisin Tymon.

I am grateful to Ken MacQuarrie for the thorough way he has conducted an investigation of the incident on 4th March. Given the obvious and very genuine public interest in this I am publishing the findings of his report. I take no pleasure in doing so. I am only making them public so people can better understand the background. I know how popular the programme is and I also know that this decision will divide opinion. The main facts are not disputed by those involved.

I want to make three points.

First – The BBC is a broad church. Our strength in many ways lies in that diversity. We need a distinctive and different voices, but they cannot come at any price. Common to all at the BBC have to be standards of decency and respect. I cannot condone what has happened on this occasion. A member of staff – who is a completely innocent party – took himself to Accident and Emergency after a physical altercation accompanied by sustained and prolonged verbal abuse of an extreme nature. For me a line has been crossed. There cannot be one rule for one and one rule for another is dictated by either rank, or public relations and commercial considerations.

Second – This has obviously leg difficult for everyone involved but in particular for Oisin. I want to make clear that no blame attaches to him for this incident. He has behaved with huge integrity throughout. As a senior producer at the BBC he will continue to have an important role within the organisation in the future.

Third – 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.

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.

The bad news: Jezza should be really gone, and so it is not an early april 1 joke. The good news: there is looking for ways to the remaining episodes yet to broadcast. It also wants the BBC in 2016 to continue with the show, all will be the first new interpretation to be imagined. No, Chris Evans is not in the picture as a possible replacement for Clarkson.

As is well known, extensive research is done into what exactly happens on that particular 4th of march has played. To once and for all the speculation to pay, you can read below the main findings of the research:

– earlier on 4 March, studio recording, or Top Gear had taken place in Surrey and the presenters
had travelled that same evening to the location shoot in North Yorkshire;
– the incident occurred on a patio area or the Simonstone Hall Hotel, where Oisin Tymon was working on location for Top Gear;
– the physical attack lasted around 30 seconds and was halted by the intervention of a witness;
– it is the case that Oisin Tymon offered no retaliation;
– the verbal abuse was directed at Oisin Tymon on more than one occasion – both during the attack and subsequently inside the hotel and contained the strongest expletives and threats to sack him. The abuse was at such volume as to be heard in the dining room, and the shouting was audible in a hotel bedroom;
– derogatory and abusive language, relating to Oisin Tymon and other members of the Top Gear team, continued to be used by Jeremy Clarkson inside the hotel, in the presence of others, for a sustained period of time;
– it is clear that Oisin Tymon was shocked and distressed by the incident, and believed that he had lost his job;
– following the attack, I understand that Oisin Tymon drove to a nearby A&E department for examination;
– over the subsequent days, Jeremy Clarkson made a number of attempts to apologise to Oisin Tymon by way of text, email and in person; and
– it is the case that Jeremy Clarkson reported the incident to BBC management.

You hoped on an elephant with a big snout? Unfortunately. Following In the footsteps of the previous petitions have a few die-hards a petition online hurled, for the fans who would like to see that Jezza, Hamster and Captain Slow their own car show via Netflix. Your support expresses you here.

UPDATE 1: we will of Course keep you eye on what the other two members of the Top Gear trio have to say about the recent developments. In the following video James May a microphone under his nose, pressed, indicating his Ferrari are already on eBay. On the question of how the remainder of the show sees answers May not be very clear.

UPDATE 2: Also Richard Hammond is stirring, this time via twitter:

UPDATE 3: Now the BBC is ready with Clarkson takes the popo. The police of North Yorkshire has the info from the BBC survey are requested and will, if necessary, take measures. More info in this article.

PS: looking for some great video entries from Clarkson? Check out our 12 great clips from Top Gear.