End of an Era
So the BBC has parted company with Jeremy Clarkson by deciding not to renew his contract which Jeremy Clarkson which was up for renewal at the end of this month.
Probably a good thing all round if you ask me although, unlike some people, I won't be celebrating the news because the BBC can ill afford to lose the loss of people talented enough to make programmes which sell right across the world.
And while Clarkson needs to look to his own behaviour, the BBC has questions to answer as well because the notorious 'eeny, meeny, miny moe' incident was never actually broadcast by the BBC.
Instead the presenter's juvenile antics and general mucking about were leaked separately and at a later date after the programme had been finished, presumably by or via one of the BBC's production staff.
So relations must have been at a low ebb for a long time.
Jeremy Clarkson dropped from Top Gear, BBC confirms
Clarkson called himself a "dinosaur" in his newspaper column
Jeremy Clarkson's contract will not be renewed after an "unprovoked physical attack" on a Top Gear producer, the BBC's director general has confirmed.
Tony Hall said he had "not taken this decision lightly" and recognised it would "divide opinion".
However, he added "a line has been crossed" and he "cannot condone what has happened on this occasion".
Clarkson was suspended on 10 March, following what was called a "fracas" with Top Gear producer Oisin Tymon.
The row, which took place in a Yorkshire hotel, was said to have occurred because no hot food was provided for him following a day's filming.
An internal investigation began last week, led by Ken MacQuarrie, the director of BBC Scotland.
It found that Mr Tymon took himself to hospital after he was subject to an "unprovoked physical and verbal attack".
"During the physical attack Oisin Tymon was struck, resulting in swelling and bleeding to his lip. The verbal abuse was sustained over a longer period, both at the time of the physical attack and subsequently."
The verbal abuse "contained the strongest expletives and threats to sack" Mr Tymon, who believed he had lost his job, Mr MacQuarrie noted in his report.
The "physical attack lasted around 30 seconds and was halted by the intervention of a witness," he added.
'Extraordinary contribution'
Mr Tymon did not file a formal complaint and it is understood Clarkson reported himself to BBC bosses following the incident.
After that, the BBC's director of television, Danny Cohen, felt he had no choice but to suspend the presenter pending an investigation.
The decision caused an outpouring of support from Top Gear fans, with more than a million people signing an online petition to reinstate him.
Announcing his decision, Lord Hall said Clarkson's dismissal was unavoidable after "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 dictated by either rank, or public relations and commercial considerations."
However, he added: "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."
In a statement, Mr Tymon thanked the BBC for a "thorough and swift investigation into this very regrettable incident".
"I've worked on Top Gear for almost a decade, a programme I love," he continued.
"Over that time Jeremy and I had a positive and successful working relationship, making some landmark projects together. He is a unique talent and I am well aware that many will be sorry his involvement in the show should end in this way."
Mr Tymon did not file a formal complaint and it is understood Clarkson reported himself to BBC bosses following the incident.
After that, the BBC's director of television, Danny Cohen, felt he had no choice but to suspend the presenter pending an investigation.
The decision caused an outpouring of support from Top Gear fans, with more than a million people signing an online petition to reinstate him.
Announcing his decision, Lord Hall said Clarkson's dismissal was unavoidable after "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 dictated by either rank, or public relations and commercial considerations."
However, he added: "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."
In a statement, Mr Tymon thanked the BBC for a "thorough and swift investigation into this very regrettable incident".
"I've worked on Top Gear for almost a decade, a programme I love," he continued.
"Over that time Jeremy and I had a positive and successful working relationship, making some landmark projects together. He is a unique talent and I am well aware that many will be sorry his involvement in the show should end in this way."
Analysis: David Sillito, Media correspondent
Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond have presented Top Gear together since 2003
Jeremy Clarkson took a slightly dull and failing car programme and turned it in to the biggest factual TV show in the World.
But this sacking has nothing to do with style, opinions, popularity - or even his language on the show.
It's about what stars are allowed to get away with off screen, a topic that's been top of the agenda for the BBC in recent months.
The corporation has had to overhaul all of its policies and attitudes towards bullying and harassment, and a long verbal tirade and a physical assault would have crossed the line for any member of staff.
Clarkson may be popular with the audience, and the BBC really did not want to lose him, but this was a star who admitted he was on his final warning and a corporation that was under intense scrutiny over what its top talent can and cannot get away with.
Jeremy Clarkson took a slightly dull and failing car programme and turned it in to the biggest factual TV show in the World.
But this sacking has nothing to do with style, opinions, popularity - or even his language on the show.
It's about what stars are allowed to get away with off screen, a topic that's been top of the agenda for the BBC in recent months.
The corporation has had to overhaul all of its policies and attitudes towards bullying and harassment, and a long verbal tirade and a physical assault would have crossed the line for any member of staff.
Clarkson may be popular with the audience, and the BBC really did not want to lose him, but this was a star who admitted he was on his final warning and a corporation that was under intense scrutiny over what its top talent can and cannot get away with.
Writing in his column in the Sun newspaper earlier this month, Clarkson had appeared to hint he was close to quitting, calling himself a "dinosaur" and adding: "These big imposing creatures have no place in a world which has moved on."
Top Gear, which is one of BBC Two's most popular programmes, will continue without Clarkson, who will now become the subject of a bidding war by other broadcasters.
Top Gear stats
- 350 million - Top Gear's estimated worldwide audience
- 1977 - Top Gear began as a local show on BBC Midlands
- 170 plus episodes in its current format (since 2002)
- 3 million YouTube subscribers
- 1.7 million global circulation of Top Gear magazine
Source: BBC Worldwide
The magazine show is one of the BBC's biggest properties, with overseas sales worth an estimated £50m a year for the corporation's commercial arm, BBC Worldwide.
Whether Clarkson's co-presenters James May and Richard Hammond will remain with the show has yet to be confirmed.
All three had their contracts up for renewal this year. Clarkson's expires at the end of March.
Lord Hall said he had asked BBC Two controller Kim Shillinglaw to handle "big challenge" of renewing Top Gear for 2016, and to look into how the channel could broadcast the last three programmes of the current series, which were pulled from the schedule when Clarkson was suspended.
Meanwhile, one of Clarkson's potential replacements, Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans, has rubbished press speculation that he was to join the show.
"Not only is it not true, it's absolute nonsense," he told his listeners on Wednesday morning.
"From what I've seen on Twitter and various social media, there's a 50/50 split approximately as to whether me being involved in the show is a good idea.
"In TV or radio, if you get a 50/50 love/hate reaction that usually equals massive hit. I used to work for [ratings body] Barb and knock on people's doors and this was the rule of thumb.
"However, I'm in the no camp. So regardless of whether it would be a hit, I'm voting a no for myself on that show, so that's never going happen.
"And that's the end of that."
The magazine show is one of the BBC's biggest properties, with overseas sales worth an estimated £50m a year for the corporation's commercial arm, BBC Worldwide.
Whether Clarkson's co-presenters James May and Richard Hammond will remain with the show has yet to be confirmed.
All three had their contracts up for renewal this year. Clarkson's expires at the end of March.
Lord Hall said he had asked BBC Two controller Kim Shillinglaw to handle "big challenge" of renewing Top Gear for 2016, and to look into how the channel could broadcast the last three programmes of the current series, which were pulled from the schedule when Clarkson was suspended.
Meanwhile, one of Clarkson's potential replacements, Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans, has rubbished press speculation that he was to join the show.
"Not only is it not true, it's absolute nonsense," he told his listeners on Wednesday morning.
"From what I've seen on Twitter and various social media, there's a 50/50 split approximately as to whether me being involved in the show is a good idea.
"In TV or radio, if you get a 50/50 love/hate reaction that usually equals massive hit. I used to work for [ratings body] Barb and knock on people's doors and this was the rule of thumb.
"However, I'm in the no camp. So regardless of whether it would be a hit, I'm voting a no for myself on that show, so that's never going happen.
"And that's the end of that."
