[Harvey Specter]

Jeremy Clarkson suspended: Top Gear presenter 'may quit BBC even if he is cleared over fracas with producer'

Jeremy Clarkson could quit the BBC even if he is cleared of wrongdoing over his "fracas" with a producer, sources close to the presenter have said.
Clarkson's relationship with key BBC executives, including head of television Danny Cohen, was already at breaking point before he was suspended over the latest controversy, and Clarkson may simply decide to walk away rather than try to patch things up yet again.

Clarkson, 54, is reported to have hit producer Oisin Tymon, 36, after being told no dinner had been laid on for the presenters after they finished filming for the BBC2 show one evening last week.
Sources at the North Yorkshire hotel said Clarkson had to be "held back" when he was told there was no hot food.

An eyewitness said: "Clarkson erupted when told there was only a cold platter. The general manager offered them everything. We were all thinking meat platter and soup - surely that's food.
"We were so surprised at his reaction. He was shouting and swearing using every single word you can think of. There was F words and C words. The producer was being very quiet and looked very embarrassed."
The witness revealed they did not see any punches being thrown but said Clarkson appeared to be being held back.
Clarkson arrived by helicopter to film the programme and also left by helicopter.

He joked that he was "off to the Job Centre" as he left his home in London on Wednesday.
His BBC contract runs out at the end of this month, and neither he nor his co-presenters James May and Richard Hammond had yet signed new three-year deals that were expected to be sealed within days.

Speculation is rife that Clarkson, who has long been courted by Sky, could finally decide to end his troubled relationship with the BBC by starting a new show on another channel.

he Radio Times quotes sources close to Clarkson as saying that his relationship with key BBC executives is so bad that he may quit.
“The last three episodes of this series have been pulled,” the source said. “Can I see him going back to film another BBC series? I don’t think so. But he’ll be fine. The other broadcasters will bite his arm off.”

Clarkson is said to have told friends that he did not punch Tymon but that there was "handbags and pushing" over the fact that no hot food was available after a day's filming.
As he left his home today, he said: "I've been suspended haven't I? I'm just off to the job centre...at least I'm going to be able to get to the Chelsea match tonight."
Asked if his suspension was over a row about food he said "no, no, no" but said "yes" when asked if he had any regrets about what had happened. He would not say whether he was going to resign or expected to be sacked.

James May confirmed that Clarkson was involved in "a bit of dust up" with the producer.

Sources have told The Daily Telegraph that the internal investigation into Clarkson's conduct will be a straightforward finding of fact by the BBC's human resources department. If he is found to have punched his colleague, he will be subjected to the Corporation's fixed disciplinary procedures, which could include the sack.

Prime Minister David Cameron said Mr Clarkson, who lives in his Witney constituency, was a "huge talent" and hoped the incident could be "sorted out".
Mr Cameron told BBC Midlands Today: "All I would say, because he is a talent and he does amuse and entertain so many people, including my children who'll be heartbroken if Top Gear is taken off air, I hope this can be sorted out because it is a great programme and he is a great talent.

He added: "The Prime Minister has many responsibilities, sadly securing the future of Top Gear isn't one of them."

Previous controversies, including racist language, have been a "debating point" in which executives had considerable discretion over what action to take. They will have no such say in what happens to Clarkson if the HR investigation finds against him.

The BBC owns the Top Gear format, meaning it could decide to carry on without Clarkson, while Clarkson would have to come up with a new type of motoring show if he jumped ship to Sky or ITV.
Cohen, who said last year that no-one was bigger than the BBC, is said to have favoured sacking Clarkson last year after he was filmed saying the n-word in a Top Gear outtake, but he was overruled by Lord Hall, the BBC director-general.

Within minutes of news of his suspension breaking, fans of Clarkson had started an online petition to have him reinstated. More than 200,000 people have so far signed the petition.

more here; Jeremy Clarkson suspended: Top Gear presenter 'may quit BBC even if he is cleared over fracas with producer' - Telegraph

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