BBC Two boss: Jeremy Clarkson ‘will be back on the BBC’
The head of BBC Two and BBC Four, who has been tasked with finding Jeremy Clarkson’s Top Gear replacement has said the host “will be back on the BBC”.
Announcing Clarkson’s sacking last month, BBC director-general Lord Hall said that Clarkson had failed to maintain“standards of decency and respect” whilst working after an “unprovoked physical and verbal attack” on producer Oisin Tymon.
Kim Shillinglaw, who is searching for Clarkson’s replacement, said there is “no ban” on Clarkson returning to the BBC, and that he “will be back on the BBC”, the BBC reports.
“It’s serious and unfortunate what happened but there is no ban on Jeremy being on the BBC,” she said.
“It’s a big deal what happened and Jeremy, as any human being would, needs some time.”
The BBC also today announced that the final episode of Top Gear, which was not aired as Clarkson was suspended, will still be shown this summer.
Despite not returning to Top Gear, Clarkson is already set for his BBC return less than a month after the incident as he will host an episode of Have I Got News for You.
A petition set up by Guido Fawkes blogger on Change.org to bring back Clarkson has been signed by over a million people.
Co-host James May has ruled out returning to Top Gear without Clarkson.
Clarkson has been accused of homophobia in the past.
He apologised last year for a tweet he sent containing a picture of himself with a sign saying “gay c*nt”.
Clarkson tweeted the image featuring fellow Top Gear host James May, along with the caption “Sadly, I fell asleep on the plane.”
Piers Morgan tweeted to criticise the Top Gear presenter for the tweet, noting his “flabby neck”.
In 2010, Clarkson was criticised for appearing on the show with Alistair Campbell, and in a scene which was deleted saying: “I demand the right not to be bummed.”