Top Gear's Clarkson suspended by BBC

[Yoda]

PC? I'm interested to learn what the view of your employer would be if you punched a colleague in the face because there'd been some sort of disagreement.

Never mind potentially constituting a criminal assault, I can't imagine there's a workplace in the country that wouldn't consider that to fall into the category of gross misconduct.

Very interesting point that. Are the BBC public sector? If not, why wasn't it a police investigation involved for the criminal assault? Unless the injuries were that minor the producer didn't feel the need to press charges, after all, HE didn't report it to his bosses at the BBC either. Maybe if Clarkson had kept quite we wouldn't have had this thread?

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Very interesting point that. Are the BBC public sector? If not, why wasn't it a police investigation involved for the criminal assault? Unless the injuries were that minor the producer didn't feel the need to press charges, after all, HE didn't report it to his bosses at the BBC either. Maybe if Clarkson had kept quite we wouldn't have had this thread?

I don't think there's any relevance in who reported it. The fact seems to be that he punched some bloke in the face because he was annoyed about his lunch, or lack of it. That demonstrates a complete lack of control that would be an issue at pretty much any place of employment. Perhaps the victim didn't really want to take it down the route of getting the police involved (though I do believe they have been spoken to about it): that doesn't mean it was acceptable. A footballer who gets head butted in the face by an opponent, say, may not want to prosecute the perpetrator, but that doesn't mean the offender wouldn't be punished by the FA.

As I've said, hitting somebody you work with would seem to be about as clear cut a case of gross misconduct as I could imagine. That would surely apply whether you worked for the BBC, for the Albion, for Virgin Atlantic, GlaxoSmithKline or for your local library. If you or I did that, we'd expect to be in serious trouble. There's nothing PC about it.

I also can't help thinking the protests are merely a result of a sort of cult of personality surrounding Clarkson. Imagine it wasn't him in this situation, but (say) Piers Morgan or Simon Cowell. Would people be screaming "PC gone mad!" and launching Twitter petitions if Morgan smacked his producer in the face? I suspect not. I fear that our views of what's socially acceptable seem to have been warped in this case by the identity of the perpetrator.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

As I've said, hitting somebody you work with would seem to be about as clear cut a case of gross misconduct as I could imagine. That would surely apply whether you worked for the BBC, for the Albion, for Virgin Atlantic, GlaxoSmithKline or for your local library. If you or I did that, we'd expect to be in serious trouble. There's nothing PC about it.

.

What if you're a boxing coach....

 

[KZNSeagull]

Surely those two awful, vacuous, toadying sidekicks will return to local radio or whatever else is their natural station in life, pun intended?

Making a living as a rectal polyp is never a good thing, no matter how big the a--ehole you're attached to happens to be.

That certainly applies to Hammond, not sure about James May. His segments on Top Gear are generally the better ones imo of course. He is certainly more entertaining than Chris Evans.

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

Disappointing, but you cant assault someone and get away with it. Top Gear on the BBC is dead - simple as that. The best hope they have is to cash in on the brand to another channel which would continue to have Clarkson, May and Hammond fronting it.

ITV and Sky could be licking their lips here, but the BBC has had to lose an audience of 350 MILLION and also an income of £50 Million a year......what with the BBC budgets the way they are, expect a TV licence fee rise, despite continued poor programming (this has been the case for sometime now).

 

[beorhthelm]

Never mind potentially constituting a criminal assault, I can't imagine there's a workplace in the country that wouldn't consider that to fall into the category of gross misconduct.

quite, so why hasn't it? options seem to be: its too much fuss this close to contract end; didnt want to pursue that course against a major name; no evidence/witnesses; or maybe it wasn't as much as the media are reporting.

given its the beeb, he's on last warning and it was with the crew, i'm inclined to think its that last option. we'll probably never know, but it seems odd that someone reports himself, there no suggestion of a police investigation, and the verdict is a mild non-renewal of contract.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

quite, so why hasn't it? options seem to be: its too much fuss this close to contract end; didnt want to pursue that course against a major name; no evidence/witnesses; or maybe it wasn't as much as the media are reporting.

given its the beeb, he's on last warning and it was with the crew, i'm inclined to think its that last option. we'll probably never know, but it seems odd that someone reports himself, there no suggestion of a police investigation, and the verdict is a mild non-renewal of contract.

There is a suggestion of a police investigation though. I've seen it today that they've at least been spoken to about it. Doesn't mean that the victim wishes to pursue it of course.

Perhaps the BBC took the easy option. Leave quietly, we'll simply not renew your contract rather than specifically firing you, and you can keep your substantial BBC pension etc.

However it was done, I don't think the organisation had any choice but to let him go, as to have kept him on would have sent a message to their thousands of other employees that you can assault colleagues and get away with it (as well as pretty much telling the chap on the receiving end in this case that what happened was acceptable).

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Perhaps the BBC took the easy option. Leave quietly, we'll simply not renew your contract rather than specifically firing you, and you can keep your substantial BBC pension etc.

Very much doubt a contractor would be eligible for a BBC pension. Not that he'll end up short of a few bob tho eh?

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Very much doubt a contractor would be eligible for a BBC pension. Not that he'll end up short of a few bob tho eh?

Oh, righto, I've no idea how these things work. So he's set himself up as a company employed by the BBC, sort of thing then?

 

[Steve in Japan]

That certainly applies to Hammond, not sure about James May. His segments on Top Gear are generally the better ones imo of course. He is certainly more entertaining than Chris Evans.

I am a closet James May fan. Charismatic he is not, but knows his cars. And obviously gets off on engineering stuff. Pair him up with that bloke Guy Martin and you would probably have something worth watching.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Oh, righto, I've no idea how these things work. So he's set himself up as a company employed by the BBC, sort of thing then?

Yup, that kind of thing. Production company

 

[Jim D]

others have tried that, dont get the interest. the whole point about Top Gear is the focus on car porn and silly challenges. listening to someone say how good or bad the Ford Focus 1.8D is just doesn't do it for viewers these days.

You're quite right. Just out of interest though - is that some sort of camera?

 

[beorhthelm]

However it was done, I don't think the organisation had any choice but to let him go, as to have kept him on would have sent a message to their thousands of other employees that you can assault colleagues and get away with it (as well as pretty much telling the chap on the receiving end in this case that what happened was acceptable).

i agree they had to let him go, but find it a bit worrying you are assuming there must have been an assault. the manner this episode concludes suggests there wasn't, or else they are sending out the message they'll just brush assault under the carpet. i dont believe that would be the case with the beeb. basically anything other than reporting to police (can they do that on the victims behalf?) and dismissal for gross misconduct is a bad story from them if an assault did occur.

 

[Postman Pat]

As I've said, hitting somebody you work with would seem to be about as clear cut a case of gross misconduct as I could imagine. That would surely apply whether you worked for the BBC, for the Albion, for Virgin Atlantic, GlaxoSmithKline or for your local library. If you or I did that, we'd expect to be in serious trouble. There's nothing PC about it..

As I said before, there are a number of stories about punch-ups at football clubs and limited action taken, John hartson volleying someone in the head, fergie hitting Beckham with a boot, Bellamy and Riise golf club, and Ashley Cole and an air-rifle.

If the asset is valuable enough it will be a slap on the wrist and don't do it again.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

I think a new trio of Chris Moyles, Miranda Hart and Robbie Savage should be put in place.

 

[Gwylan]

i agree they had to let him go, but find it a bit worrying you are assuming there must have been an assault. the manner this episode concludes suggests there wasn't

The victim had to go to hospital to have his injuries treated: how are you suggesting that these injuries happened? Self-inflicted? Punched by someone else?

As I said before, there are a number of stories about punch-ups at football clubs and limited action taken, John hartson volleying someone in the head, fergie hitting Beckham with a boot, Bellamy and Riise golf club, and Ashley Cole and an air-rifle.

If the asset is valuable enough it will be a slap on the wrist and don't do it again.

Yes, that's true enough but the Beeb has had a bit of a kicking in the past couple of years because it failed to take action against known paedophiles because the "assets were too valuable". The organisation has gone to great lengths to assure people that it's learned its lesson and no-one is too big to be beyond action. The BBC could scarcely bottle it when it gets the first opportunity to prove it has learned its lesson

 

[jakarta]

I'm sure I read that Clarkson is worth around £30 million so he doesn't need to work at all.

I'm also sure he gets paid pretty well by New International for his Sun and ST stuff,

Given his run-ins with BBC management who clearly don't share his world view (which I won't comment upon) I reckon he has decided f*ck it and f*ck them, I'm off and I'll give that irritating beardy a thump on my way out.

 

[mikeyjh]

If you want to know more about the people that 'Man Of the People' Clarkson represented, and if you want to understand maybe we he didn't report it.... https://www.vpointnews.com/Article/...t-report-jeremy-clarkson#.VRLWKBrBAvI.twitter

I particularly enjoyed [MENTION=13018]chris[/MENTION]brennan10 profile - What an utter twunt.

 

[dingodan]

Zayn to TopGear, Jeremy to One Direction?

 

[drew]

i agree they had to let him go, but find it a bit worrying you are assuming there must have been an assault. the manner this episode concludes suggests there wasn't, or else they are sending out the message they'll just brush assault under the carpet. i dont believe that would be the case with the beeb. basically anything other than reporting to police (can they do that on the victims behalf?) and dismissal for gross misconduct is a bad story from them if an assault did occur.

How on earth do you arrive at that 'theory'? The victim took himself to hospital. That, and the fact that Clarkson reported himself to the management suggests rather strongly that there was an assault. According to the BBC it only stopped following the intervention of a witness. James May also said previously that Clarkson hit the guy. Perhaps all these people are part of a conspiracy to 'get' Clarkson!!!