With the internet currently melting because a loud Englishman got fired, we reckon we should stoke the flames a bit.
Whether or not you care about Jeremy Clarkson and Top Gear, there is no doubt that the show and the presenters are a huge influence in the car world. As an entertainment show, Top Gear was once brilliant, but has started to repeat itself while still admittedly remaining entertaining.
As a source of information about cars, it was shit. But that is what Clarkson had made it and it is also what made it successful.
Will Top Gear die now that Clarkson has gone? Probably not. It existed long before him and will no doubt continue after him.
Will it be as popular? Almost certainly not.
But the thing that will probably come from this is that the BBC will carry on with Top Gear. Clarkson – and most likely May and Hammond – will go somewhere (Netflix, anyone?) with a huge budget and continue doing silly things with cars as a backdrop. So we will have TWO car shows.
Sorry, but isn’t this a good thing?
To all the people whinging about how “Top Gear is dead” and that the BBC are idiots – think about that for a bit. Below are the details of the findings from the BBC’s investigation and why they pretty much HAD to fire Clarkson. His ego got the better of him and he punched an “underling” whose only wrongdoing was relaying the news that Clarkson couldn’t have steak and chips because the restaurant was closed. Simple as that.
Top Gear can and should carry on. Clarkson can and should go and do something else. Then we can have car-based silliness on an epic scale and, hopefully, an entertaining and informative show about cars. You guess which one will be which.
Unless, of course, the best thing ever happens and the BBC get Alan Partridge to host Top Gear. Then the world would be just perfect.
Investigation findings – Ken MacQuarrie
On 9 March 2015, Jeremy Clarkson reported to BBC management that he had been involved in a
physical and verbal incident with Oisin Tymon, the producer of Top Gear, at the Simonstone Hall
Hotel, North Yorkshire, whilst working on location. The incident had occurred on 4 March 2015
and Jeremy Clarkson was suspended on 10 March, pending investigation.
I was asked to undertake an investigation to establish the facts of what occurred. In conducting my
investigation, in line with the BBC’s usual practice, I interviewed a number of witnesses and others
connected with the incident. Accounts were agreed, based on my interviews, with each participant.
Having conducted these interviews and considered the evidence presented, I conclude the
following: on 4 March 2015 Oisin Tymon was subject to an unprovoked physical and verbal attack
by Jeremy Clarkson. 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.
Specific facts I have found as part of my investigation are as follows:
earlier on 4 March, studio recording of Top Gear had taken place in Surrey and the presenters
had travelled that same evening to the location shoot in North Yorkshire;
the incident occurred on a patio area of the Simonstone Hall Hotel, where Oisin Tymon was
working on location for Top Gear;
the physical attack lasted around 30 seconds and was halted by the intervention of a witness;
it is the case that Oisin Tymon offered no retaliation;
the verbal abuse was directed at Oisin Tymon on more than one occasion – both during the
attack and subsequently inside the hotel – and contained the strongest expletives and threats to
sack him. The abuse was at such volume as to be heard in the dining room, and the shouting
was audible in a hotel bedroom;
derogatory and abusive language, relating to Oisin Tymon and other members of the Top Gear
team, continued to be used by Jeremy Clarkson inside the hotel, in the presence of others, for a
sustained period of time;
it is clear that Oisin Tymon was shocked and distressed by the incident, and believed that he
had lost his job;
following the attack, I understand that Oisin Tymon drove to a nearby A&E department for
examination;
over the subsequent days, Jeremy Clarkson made a number of attempts to apologise to Oisin
Tymon by way of text, email and in person; and
it is the case that Jeremy Clarkson reported the incident to BBC management.
It was not disputed by Jeremy Clarkson or any witness that Oisin Tymon was the victim of an
unprovoked physical and verbal attack. It is also clear to me that Oisin Tymon is an important
creative member of the Top Gear team who is well-valued and respected. He has suffered significant
personal distress as a result of this incident, through no fault of his own
