Jeremy Clarkson and Top Gear fans may still be awaiting news on his BBC suspension, but the controversial presenter could be making a comeback next week, albeit in Norway.
Clarkson’s conduct is being investigated following a “fracas” with producer Oisin Tymon over a hot meal and is remains unknown when a verdict will be delivered.
The 54-year-old is, however, expected at a Top Gear Live event in Stavanger on Friday 27 March and Saturday 28 March and BBC Worldwide is still selling tickets for the shows.
This means that if Clarkson is cleared, he will return to his role as host alongside Richard Hammond and James May, who have reportedly refused to film Top Gear episodes without him. Remaining episodes in the current series were cancelled, leading to the “Bring Back Clarkson” petition, which is just 13,000 signatures shy of reaching one million.
A spokesperson for BBC Worldwide told The Independent this morning that there was “no update or comment regarding the Norwegian shows at present”.
An unnamed source connected to the BBC’s commercial arm previously said that things are being taken “on a day by day basis”. “As things stand the shows are scheduled to run as billed,” the source told The Telegraph. “It is not happening tomorrow, it is happening in eight says’ time, so we are waiting to see what the investigation delivers.
“No one is really sure about the timing of the investigation’s decision, so before we disappoint 20,000 fans in Norway, at the moment we are going ahead with the show.”
Should Clarkson be sacked, BBC Worldwide would likely face a large compensation pay-out for cancelling the live events. Vehicles and equipment are shipped from the UK to each country hosting a show, making them expensive to run, while dozens of people are employed to work as stunt drivers and performers.
Post a Comment