Editorial: Support for Clarkson baffling

Jeremy Clarkson

JEREMY Clarkson has been sacked for being Jeremy Clarkson.

Sounds familiar. Oh wait - it's a bit like the mean and opinionated judges on The X Factor being sacked for being mean and opinionated.

Not that I'm questioning the media bosses' decisions in either case, but it shouldn't come as a surprise that a man with Clarkson's history and personality eventually stepped over the line.

The star of the BBC's Top Gear motoring TV show is under police scrutiny after being sacked for punching one of the show's producers and sending him to A&E.

A BBC internal investigation found Clarkson had launched an unprovoked 30-second physical attack on the man because he was offered a plate of cold cuts instead of steak and chips.

If someone hadn't been hurt you'd laugh.

Clarkson also verbally abused the man in a 20-minute tirade.

I can't understand why there is any question over Clarkson's sacking. What an atrocious display of bullying and intimidation.

But the man has support. Apparently there's likely to be a bidding war for Clarkson's services - so he won't go hungry for steak and chips. Co-host James May seems to be backing him. A million people signed a petition. And Twitter went nuts, as it does, with fans slamming the Beeb for its decision.

Ex-X Factor judge Natalia Kills would kill for support like that.

But, for every outraged Clarkson fan railing against the BBC, I'd like to think there are 10 perfectly normal people who would applaud the sacking.

This figure of controversy, who was in the news only last August for using a racist term when referring to a Thai man, and in May accused of using what is referred to as "the N word" when reciting Eeny, meeny, miny moe, will clearly continue to thrive, albeit elsewhere.

But at least a major public media organisation has made a stand in the face of public - and perhaps commercial - pressure, against bullying, intimidation and violence.