'TOP GEAR' host Jeremy Clarkson suspended

[7by7]

Essexyman, you have obviously not read what I said earlier, have chosen to ignore it or failed to understand it.

I said that nothing excuses punching a co worker, or anyone.

Got it now?

If not, sorry but I don't see how I can make it any simpler.

[transam]

Many moons ago it was a show presented by people who knew nothing about cars like Angela Rippon reading from a script.

Clarkson was the first proper motoring journalist to be a presenter of the programme. After he and other people who actually knew something about cars joined, viewing figures increased from less than a million to approaching 6 million.

Clarkson left the original Top Gear in 2001, and viewing figures halved!

With Vicki Butler-Henderson, Tiff Needell and Adrian Simpson jumping ship to present Fifth Gear, ratings fell even further until the BBC dropped it.

Clarkson and Wilman revived it in it's current format in 2002, and today it has over 350 million viewers worldwide.

As anyone associated with the show will readily tell you; it is not a serious consumer advice show about motoring, and has never, since it's relaunch made any attempt to be.

It's meant to be, and is, an entertainment show based around cars.

You don't like that; so don't watch it!

So your NOT a gear head and enjoy just the fun...........

I remember how it started, was for gear heads who wanted FACTS..........Of course it now has a big following cos it is now a comedy prog for folk like yourself........

[7by7]

Seems the punch did land and the producer need hospital treatment for a split lip...

What was even worse was while recovering at home four days later he has this hairy gorilla banging on his door wanting to apologise.

Jeremy Clarkson turned up at Oisin Tymon’s home to plead forgiveness for their Top Gear bust-up - but got the cold shoulder.

The BBC probe into the row has been told injured Oisin refused to even open the door to him.

A source said desperate Clarkson “tried for up to five minutes but in the end had to walk away”.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/jeremy-clarkson-shown-door-oisin-5366739

Lot's of "a source said" and "allegedly" in that report.

Clarkson writes columns for The Sun and The Sunday Times; both owned by News International.

News International biggest rival in the UK is the Mirror Group.

The Mirror takes every possible opportunity to rubbish News International journalists.

I'd take that report with a very large bucket of salt, until and unless it's confirmed elsewhere, and I don't mean confirmed in those articles which contain something like "The Mirror reports.....".

It 's the same with the family which 'witnessed' the incident; paid by the Mirror for their 'evidence'!

[7by7]

Many moons ago it was a show presented by people who knew nothing about cars like Angela Rippon reading from a script.

Clarkson was the first proper motoring journalist to be a presenter of the programme. After he and other people who actually knew something about cars joined, viewing figures increased from less than a million to approaching 6 million.

Clarkson left the original Top Gear in 2001, and viewing figures halved!

With Vicki Butler-Henderson, Tiff Needell and Adrian Simpson jumping ship to present Fifth Gear, ratings fell even further until the BBC dropped it.

Clarkson and Wilman revived it in it's current format in 2002, and today it has over 350 million viewers worldwide.

As anyone associated with the show will readily tell you; it is not a serious consumer advice show about motoring, and has never, since it's relaunch made any attempt to be.

It's meant to be, and is, an entertainment show based around cars.

You don't like that; so don't watch it!

So your NOT a gear head and enjoy just the fun...........

I remember how it started, was for gear heads who wanted FACTS..........Of course it now has a big following cos it is now a comedy prog for folk like yourself........

It started with people who knew nothing about cars reading from scripts items which compared the Morris Marina and the Austin Allegro; gripping stuff!

But if that's what you enjoy; fine; each to their own.

If you want reports such as what's better; a Kia Carens or a Seat Alhambra, then Top Gear is not for you.

If you want items like the, hopefully not now doomed to never happen, comparison between the Porsche 918 Spyder, McLaren P1 and LaFerrari then you'll only find things like that on Top Gear.

You may not have much respect for the format; but the major manufacturers do!

BTW, petrol heads I know about. Gear Heads? Fans of Top gear, maybe?

[SoiBiker]

• Whatever the rights and wrongs of this incident;
• whatever the merits or otherwise of Top Gear in it's present format;
• whatever the talents or lack of same of Clarkson

I would like to ask certain members a question.

You are constantly posting about how you find Top Gear boring rubbish and how you find Clarkson an oafish, thuggish boor.

Yet you are following and salivating over his every movement as though you were prepubescent girls and he a member of One Direction!

Why?

It's an interesting story, regardless of whether or not you like the show.

Do we need your permission to discuss it?

[7by7]

Of course you do not need my permission to discuss the story!

What a strange comment for you to make; usually only made by those with nothing to say!

But I did not ask why people are discussing the story.

I asked "Yet you are following and salivating over his every movement as though you were prepubescent girls and he a member of One Direction!

Why?"

[NickJ]

Pin a medal on his chest.....

[canuckamuck]

• Whatever the rights and wrongs of this incident;
• whatever the merits or otherwise of Top Gear in it's present format;
• whatever the talents or lack of same of Clarkson

I would like to ask certain members a question.

You are constantly posting about how you find Top Gear boring rubbish and how you find Clarkson an oafish, thuggish boor.

Yet you are following and salivating over his every movement as though you were prepubescent girls and he a member of One Direction!

Why?

I occasionally watch Top Gear, usually for a few minutes only whilst channel surfing. I personally find it boring, the one called Hammond really gets on my wick, he is just like the school weed, desperately trying to seek Clarkson's approval. But that is just my opinion, plenty will disagree with me. What cannot be in dispute however is that Clarkson is an oafish thug, his actions in the hotel foyer in front of witnesses, including a family with children, must put this beyond doubt. Despite your obvious hero worship of the man, which quite frankly is a bit sad.

Presumably you come from the school of thought that says, "If a chap comes home after work having stopped off in the pub for a couple of hours, and the wife puts a cold meat salad down in front of him when he wanted a nice juicy steak, if a chap can't put her in her place by hurling abuse at her, calling her a useless f*****G c*** etc, followed up with a good smack in the mouth, without some do gooders accusing a chap of being a thuggish bully, whatever is the world coming to"?!

You would be in good company though, the British Prime Minister somehow sees Clarkson as some kind of victim in this sorry saga.

Not exactly a fair comparison. Jeremy was not in a marriage type relationship with the assistant producer. They were not equals.

Jeremy is a man who said one day, you want to know how I would do a car show? I would do this... And they took his advice and created a show around his idea, and it was one of the best ideas BBC ever got their hands on. 100's of millions of pounds generated. High ratings in nearly every country in the world.

From a television industry point of view, that is an epic contribution. And further to that the show was so distinctly from the mind of Jeremy that the show could lose almost any other element and survive, but not with out him. He was the core.

Now the assistant producer sounds like a management title, but in reality, they are there to make things work. They put the pieces in place to make sure all contingencies are covered. Job number one is making sure the stars are covered with whatever they need. Not having a backup plan for dinner when it became apparent the stars had decided to stop for drinks was an enormous gaff.

Now I don't condone the physical aspect of the argument, but Jeremy was certainly within his rights to expect a hot meal after a day of work on a show that wouldn't exist without him and made many of them millionaires.

Jeremy was drunk, a crew member made a huge mistake (and from what I understand there was another incident earlier in the day(perhaps the reason for the drinks)) and so it came to a head.

10 years ago this would have been settled with an apology. But since BBC is the flagship of political correctness in the universe. They decided to stick burning daggers into their own eyes rather than just get on with it.

[Tao Diver]

The trouble with the Leftie Commie Pinkos that now run the BBC and several TV posters here is that Clarkson is the antithesis to everything they stand for. Blokeish , non conformist and utterly politically incorrect.

But what really gets their blood boiling is that here is a very talented person who is the total opposite to everything they stand for and yet is their biggest revenue generator and for that reason alone they will do their utmost to fire him.

For me they showed their true colours when a Nameless BBC boss said Clarkson was the same as Savile

And completely got away with doing it.

I can't stand football so guess what ?

I don't watch it just so I can moan about overpaid , over indulged Prima Donnas prancing round a pitch falling to the ground writhing in supposed agony any time an opposition player comes near them so why do people do it with Top Gear ?

[MJP]

• Whatever the rights and wrongs of this incident;
• whatever the merits or otherwise of Top Gear in it's present format;
• whatever the talents or lack of same of Clarkson

I would like to ask certain members a question.

You are constantly posting about how you find Top Gear boring rubbish and how you find Clarkson an oafish, thuggish boor.

Yet you are following and salivating over his every movement as though you were prepubescent girls and he a member of One Direction!

Why?

To wind you up. It's working too.

[Grouse]

Look the man had a couple of beers after a tough day. So what?

Apologise, shake hands and get on with it

As for being boorish - of course it's all part of the act.

And what do you think is the job description of an assistant producer? Gofor.

[7by7]

• Whatever the rights and wrongs of this incident;
• whatever the merits or otherwise of Top Gear in it's present format;
• whatever the talents or lack of same of Clarkson

I would like to ask certain members a question.

You are constantly posting about how you find Top Gear boring rubbish and how you find Clarkson an oafish, thuggish boor.

Yet you are following and salivating over his every movement as though you were prepubescent girls and he a member of One Direction!

Why?

To wind you up. It's working too.

Au contraire, MJP.

It is you and those who agree with you who are getting their knickers in a twist over the presenter of a show they claim not to like and never watch!

[MJP]

• Whatever the rights and wrongs of this incident;
• whatever the merits or otherwise of Top Gear in it's present format;
• whatever the talents or lack of same of Clarkson

I would like to ask certain members a question.

You are constantly posting about how you find Top Gear boring rubbish and how you find Clarkson an oafish, thuggish boor.

Yet you are following and salivating over his every movement as though you were prepubescent girls and he a member of One Direction!

Why?

To wind you up. It's working too.

Au contraire, MJP.

It is you and those who agree with you who are getting their knickers in a twist over the presenter of a show they claim not to like and never watch!

No no. You're definitely on the defensive.

[Bwanatickey]

A lot of Clarkson addicts on here.

[Chicog]

• Whatever the rights and wrongs of this incident;
• whatever the merits or otherwise of Top Gear in it's present format;
• whatever the talents or lack of same of Clarkson

I would like to ask certain members a question.

You are constantly posting about how you find Top Gear boring rubbish and how you find Clarkson an oafish, thuggish boor.

Yet you are following and salivating over his every movement as though you were prepubescent girls and he a member of One Direction!

Why?

Hard not to be exposed to it as the British news channels seem to think this idiot still merits coverage.

And I can onIy assume that you are joking, because it's his fans that are the ones salivating like one direction fans who've just heard they've broken up.

[7by7]

MJP and Chicog, you both seem to have (deliberately?) missed the point entirely.

Just as you have (deliberately?) missed the point of Clarkson's public persona and Top Gear.

A reminder that, according to the BBC (who are more likely to know than the Mirror and their paid 'witnesses'), "Mr Tymon did not file a formal complaint and it is understood Clarkson reported the incident himself." and "A lawyer for Mr Tymon said his client "intends to await the outcome of the BBC investigation and will make no comment until that investigation is complete"."

So the 'victim' of an 'assault' by a co worker did not make any complaint to anyone; not their employers, not the police, no one.

Meanwhile, the 'perpetrator' of said 'assault' reported it to their employers.

Soon as the 'victim' found out that the incident was being investigated rather than forgotten about, he started talking to lawyers and refused to speak about it to anyone else.

Draw your own conclusions.

The report of the BBC's internal investigation is out next week.

[NanLaew]

Apart from clarifying the fact that one of his best friends is a boorish attention seeker stuck in a mid-life crisis, Cameron's very public endorsement implies that it is OK for someone to assault their boss simply because they are tired and upset... and fits their public persona. It also infers that it is OK for people in high public office to pass public comment on the disciplinary procedures of a state-owned entity before any formal investigation and any disciplinary procedures play out.

One million people seem to agree with this and have signed a bit of paper to say as much. Meanwhile, assaults on teachers by pupils in the UK is on the rise.

Oh, never mind...

[NanLaew]

That's my Jeremy.

I love the man and his attitude.

BBC will regret it but not Jeremy.

There are many other Television companies that are willing to get him and probably they are rubbing their hands now out of expectation.

Isn't that similar to what the footie pundits said about Suarez before he decided to bite someone (again) on the worlds soccer stage?

An amazing talent (Suarez, not Clarkson) but all a bit of a liability in the end. Liverpool couldn't be shot of him quick enough and only Barca (with hugely deep pockets) could afford to take on the liability and lawyers needed to keep their 'naughty boy' in the first eleven. If the BBC rightly ditch this idiot, I am not too sure that his new employer will grant him the same 'right to serially offend' that he has built up on his Top Gear tenure.

He is the (mostly) harmless, dislikeable, opinionated, big, gobby bugger at the local pub that is a mine of (mostly) useful info when you want to talk cars but eventually a bigger bloke will slap him in the parking lot some Saturday night.

Edited March 23, 2015 by NanLaew

[Ace of Pop]

Dickey Hampster is funny choice ,found him a bit useless

[NanLaew]

Great stuff - love it!

I suspect some of the anti - Clarkson types on here are not British.

No doubt the tongue in cheek irony just goes over their heads.

Poor dears.....:

I just love the irreverence!

Correct. But he is an English phenomenon. Us Scots have spawned our own breed of un-PC eedjits long before Rab C. Nesbitt showed up on national telly or Frankie Boyle decided to do stand-up. We don't do chavs.

I have no issues with his political incorrectness and enjoyed and appreciated the earlier, short compilation of some of his statements and observations. But when you (allegedly) assault someone and somehow that becomes acceptable because of some perceived celebrity, 'talent' or financial concerns, then we are crossing a totally different bridge (with a definite slope on it).

[doctormann]

I've just been re-watching some of the Top Gear Specials - very funny and very entertaining.

You have to take Top Gear for what it is - an entertainment programme, not to be taken too seriously. I'm not condoning Clarkson's behaviour for a moment - punching someone because the food on offer is not to your liking is obviously unacceptable - but, again, you have to take him for what he is. The boorish, bullying persona is probably mostly an act anyway. What he's like in real in real life might well be entirely different - I've never met him so I can't say.

Top Gear IS Clarkson - without him it would likely not exist. Hammond and May have their parts to play - and do so excellently - but they couldn't carry the show without him. If Top Gear is scrapped, I shall miss it - not as a motoring programme but as good entertainment.

DM

[NanLaew]

All that signifies to me is the sheer number of chavs on this planet. Quite frightening.

You say that you have never watched the show; yet you feel free to criticise it and call those who do watch it chavs!

You want to impose censorship on the rest of us by banning programmes you don't like; even though you have never watched them!

That is what is frightening; seriously. God forbid that people with that view ever have any real power.

By saying that, do you mean that here in LOS, there's probably going to be a counter-coup?

[NanLaew]

Well what ever you think of him, an executive at the BBC has compared him to Jimmy Saville

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/top-gear/11479314/Jeremy-Clarkson-instructs-lawyers-over-Jimmy-Savile-smear.html

That is going way too far.

No they didn't compare him to Savile. That's what he and his protagonists (and lawyers) would like us to think.

The way that the BBC traditionally always closes ranks, turns a blind eye and looks after it's own is what the BBC executive is allegedly alluding to here. I quote:

The source said that politicians – including the Prime Minister – were turning a blind eye to Clarkson's bad behaviour, in the same way as people once did with Savile, the now notorious paedophile.

Don't worry about it, it's not your fault that Comprehension as a standalone module of learning English in schools was thrown out in the new millennium. Seems like it is a common enough affliction these days.

[NanLaew]

Many moons ago it was a show presented by people who knew nothing about cars like Angela Rippon reading from a script.

Clarkson was the first proper motoring journalist to be a presenter of the programme. After he and other people who actually knew something about cars joined, viewing figures increased from less than a million to approaching 6 million.

Clarkson left the original Top Gear in 2001, and viewing figures halved!

With Vicki Butler-Henderson, Tiff Needell and Adrian Simpson jumping ship to present Fifth Gear, ratings fell even further until the BBC dropped it.

Clarkson and Wilman revived it in it's current format in 2002, and today it has over 350 million viewers worldwide.

As anyone associated with the show will readily tell you; it is not a serious consumer advice show about motoring, and has never, since it's relaunch made any attempt to be.

It's meant to be, and is, an entertainment show based around cars.

You don't like that; so don't watch it!

So your NOT a gear head and enjoy just the fun...........

I remember how it started, was for gear heads who wanted FACTS..........Of course it now has a big following cos it is now a comedy prog for folk like yourself........

It started with people who knew nothing about cars reading from scripts items which compared the Morris Marina and the Austin Allegro; gripping stuff!

But if that's what you enjoy; fine; each to their own.

If you want reports such as what's better; a Kia Carens or a Seat Alhambra, then Top Gear is not for you.

If you want items like the, hopefully not now doomed to never happen, comparison between the Porsche 918 Spyder, McLaren P1 and LaFerrari then you'll only find things like that on Top Gear.

You may not have much respect for the format; but the major manufacturers do!

BTW, petrol heads I know about. Gear Heads? Fans of Top gear, maybe?

Petrolheads - those that love cars.

Gearheads - those that love Top Gear.

D!ckheads - those that fawn over every Clarkson's every utterance and opinion like a teenagers crush.

[NanLaew]

• Whatever the rights and wrongs of this incident;
• whatever the merits or otherwise of Top Gear in it's present format;
• whatever the talents or lack of same of Clarkson

I would like to ask certain members a question.

You are constantly posting about how you find Top Gear boring rubbish and how you find Clarkson an oafish, thuggish boor.

Yet you are following and salivating over his every movement as though you were prepubescent girls and he a member of One Direction!

Why?

Everyone likes watching a train wreck don't they?

Seems the punch did land and the producer need hospital treatment for a split lip...

What was even worse was while recovering at home four days later he has this hairy gorilla banging on his door wanting to apologise.

Jeremy Clarkson turned up at Oisin Tymon’s home to plead forgiveness for their Top Gear bust-up - but got the cold shoulder.

The BBC probe into the row has been told injured Oisin refused to even open the door to him.

A source said desperate Clarkson “tried for up to five minutes but in the end had to walk away”.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/jeremy-clarkson-shown-door-oisin-5366739

Lot's of "a source said" and "allegedly" in that report.

Clarkson writes columns for The Sun and The Sunday Times; both owned by News International.

News International biggest rival in the UK is the Mirror Group.

The Mirror takes every possible opportunity to rubbish News International journalists.

I'd take that report with a very large bucket of salt, until and unless it's confirmed elsewhere, and I don't mean confirmed in those articles which contain something like "The Mirror reports.....".

It 's the same with the family which 'witnessed' the incident; paid by the Mirror for their 'evidence'!

Following up on your desire to know why his detractors herein appear to be 'salivating' like 'prepubescent girls' about Clarkson's possible complete fall from grace, why are your panties showing like a fifth former with the hots for the Head Boy when it comes to any negative press about the chav?

[Rancid]

Saw he used a tank to run an almost million signature petition to the BBC.

Seems to me he is what he is, like him or tune out, not that something so simple is an option in a PC Nanny State.

[Chicog]

Saw he used a tank to run an almost million signature petition to the BBC.

Seems to me he is what he is, like him or tune out, not that something so simple is an option in a PC Nanny State.

So let me get this straight then, if a drunken colleague smacked you in the mouth in an unwarranted attack, you'd be happy just to ignore it if your employer just said "Oh let it go, he makes us lots of money"?

[canuckamuck]

I wonder how many of those people who are out of a job when Top Gear shuts down would really have preferred that the BBC settled the issue instead pushing the self destruct button. The asst producer got punched and likely laid off too.

[Exsexyman]

Saw he used a tank to run an almost million signature petition to the BBC.

Seems to me he is what he is, like him or tune out, not that something so simple is an option in a PC Nanny State.

So let me get this straight then, if a drunken colleague smacked you in the mouth in an unwarranted attack, you'd be happy just to ignore it if your employer just said "Oh let it go, he makes us lots of money"?

Sadly i suspect he probably would.

[Chicog]

I wonder how many of those people who are out of a job when Top Gear shuts down would really have preferred that the BBC settled the issue instead pushing the self destruct button. The asst producer got punched and likely laid off too.

I doubt it very much. An earner like that will get scooped up by Sky or ITV.