Jeremy Clarkson again...

[PenguinsAreAce]

Apparently he will be back on the BBC hosting HIGNFY shortly:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-32214799

But, but, but hang on... The reasoning given for chucking him off Top Gear was about totally unacceptable behaviour wasn't it? Are the standards different on HIGNFY then?

Just a few days back BBC director general Tony Hall said:

"Common to all at the BBC have to be standards of decency and respect. I cannot condone what has happened on this occasion. 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."

The DG's statement also made it fairly plain Clarkson no longer worked for the BBC:

"Obviously none of us wanted to find ourselves in this position. 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. Jeremy is a huge talent. He may be leaving the BBC but I am sure he will continue to entertain, challenge and amuse audiences for many years to come."

So how come he is sacked from one programme, but this extreme behaviour has no bearing on his employment on another programme (especially ruling out justification by commercial considerations)? Has he been 'unsacked' and if so why?

Seems rather hypocritical.

He won't be presenting the show on a permanent basis, he'll be a "guest".

His punishment was his sacking, do you think he should never be employed again?

I for one am quite pleased as I think he's funny & enjoy watching him.

Nope, I don't think he should never be employed again. However, if I got sacked from my employer, I seriously doubt they'd be taking me on as a freelancer any time soon. Especially if the sacking was for violent conduct. Can anyone else say different ?

No I don't think he should be allowed to present the show, especially as it will be half an hour of sly jokes about his sacking.

Oh, and I enjoyed Top Gear a lot. I was genuinely saddened by the way the trio's time on it has ended, and think it is a huge needless waste brought about solely by one man's stupidity and inability to control himself. However, I cannot disagree with an employer sacking someone for being violent and abusive towards another staff member. It was the only thing to do.

Exactly hazey. You could say he will be profiting directly from his inappropriate behaviour, and that the BBC are facilitating that in the interests of commercial gain...

Of course I do realise he may well have been booked months before the incident. Nevertheless, I do not think it should go ahead in the circumstances, no matter how funny it might be more how much audience it might draw.

From what I've read, he was on contract for Top Gear, the contract ran out, and the BBC chose not to renew it after the fracas. Rather than, "get out you git, you're fired".

And I have indeed worked for companies where an employee was fired for fighting, only to be hired back, or sent to another project. Same with some contractors, breaking rules in company accommodation, fired, hired back a month later.

I guess it actually does depend on how good you are.

Ah, I see... So "leaving the BBC" in fact meant somethign totally different .

I am surprised to hear this would not be considered unusual in the private sector. Of course the BBC is public sector, which is a little different.

Could also be because the show is produced by Hat Trick, so he is not actually working for the BBC

www.hattrick.co.uk/our-shows/

Do you feel the same about Alan Davies? Should he have been booted off of QI for the arguably worse crime of attacking a tramp in a drunken rage & biting his ear?

Or is Davies "a nice bloke" and Clarkson "an arse" and that's the end of it?

Personally I'm looking forward to Clarkson & Co. moving onwards & upwards away from the BBC & entertaining us for years to come.

I haven't said anything about Davies and know nothing of that case. This is a thread about Clarkson, who I have not called an Arse . I would not condone violence from anyone. Where an employee commits a crime or breaches the employers policies it is up to their employer to decide how to respond.

In this case it the BBC seemed to have made their position pretty darned clear. However, the explanation that Hatrick is a separate company and therefore provides them with a handy loophole seems to make sense. I do not agree with it, no matter how entertaining I may have found Clarkson at times in the past.

For the record, I think anyone who commits violent acts is a pretty low form of life.

That's logical and nice.

Wasn't it Tony Hall that bit another journalist?

Oh sorry missed out allegedly

Sorry again it was Director General Thompson (allegedly)

JC has pulled out of presenting HIGNFY so you can stop frothing now OP.

Oh no. I was looking forward to it gingham.

Me too Sparkling it would have been very entertaining.

Frothing! Hahaha.

This was the right thing to happen. I wonder if he pulled out because he realised what a verbal beating they would give him. Angus Deayton didn't enjoy it.

The production company does expect him to resume hosting duties later in the year though

Yes, I saw that Boney.