An endless number of rumors have been circulating ever since Jeremy Clarkson was suspended by the BBC a little over a week ago for allegedly throwing a punch at Top Gear producer Oisin Tymon. According to reports, the Top Gear presenter lost his temper when no hot food was available after a day of filming.
Earlier this week, the BBC announced that it has launched an internal investigation on the “fracas,” which is being conducted by BBC Scotland director Ken MacQuarrie.
Meanwhile, Top Gear has been pulled off BBC Two and the time slot has since been filled by Red Arrows: Inside The Bubble, a documentary that only attracted 1.3 million viewers to Top Gear’s 5.1 million.
Before Top Gear was pulled off the air, the car show was the most watched program on BBC Two. In fact, an online petition titled “Bring Back Clarkson” has already received signatures from more than 900,000 diehard Top Gear fans.
Despite the petition’s overwhelming support, reports also suggest that Jeremy Clarkson is highly considering leaving the BBC even if the broadcasting company decides to clear the presenter and lift his suspension. This begs the question: is Jeremy Clarkson’s return to BBC truly the best case scenario? Will “Top Gear” even be the same after the latest conflict between Jeremy and BBC execs?
At the risk of receiving backlash, I propose five reasons why Jeremy Clarkson should quit Top Gear and BBC:
1) After a series of controversial incidents on the program (who can forget the Argentina Special?), BBC director Danny Cohen is motivated to set an example and will not tolerate Jeremy Clarkson’s tendency to utter politically incorrect remarks. However, a key component to the popularity of Top Gear is Jeremy Clarkson’s mostly unapologetic remarks about cars and society. To keep Clarkson on a short leash is to hold back the potential of the presenter and the show.
2) After the string of complaints against Jeremy Clarkson and his fellow Top Gear hosts, a source told RadioTimes said the relationship between Jeremy Clarkson and select BBC execs have deteriorated so badly that there is no coming back.
3) Following incredible programs including the Botswana Special (watch it again here), Top Gear hit its peak and has begun to feel slightly underwhelming as it continues to adopt an aging format. While the program is still entertaining and the chemistry between Jeremy, Richard, and James is as great as it’s ever been, Top Gear is delivering less surprises and more of the same races between a train, a bicycle, and a car.
4) Top Gear will inevitably come to an end sooner or later as the Top Gear trio aren’t getting any younger. Amid the latest “Fracas-gate,” now is a very opportune moment for Clarkson to exit. What’s more, a decision to tell BBC “You can’t fire me because I quit!” is exactly the kind of thing we can expect Clarkson to do.
5) The end of Top Gear on BBC is not the end of motoring entertainment. Should Clarkson leave and Richard and James follow suit (we reported that the Hamster and Cpt. Slow will not film Top Gear without Jezza), then it is an opportunity for another TV station to hire the auto journalists and to completely reinvent themselves in a brand-new format. Alternatively, Jeremy Clarkson could also run his own show without any pressure from the big wigs by simply starting a YouTube channel. Besides, all the cool kids are doing it (read: Chris Harris).
Now it’s your turn: Wold you like Jeremy Clarkson to continue hosting Top Gear? Could Jeremy Clarkson create an even better show if he walked away from Danny Cohen and the BBC? Let us know in the comment section below!