Jeremy Clarkson

Oliver Reed died during the making of a film (Gladiator) in Malta. He allegedly fell off his perch trying to out-drink some sailors in a bar, so he was still working (and probably died doing what he loved most).

Good riddance - can't bear the man or his puerile programme
. He's an insufferable bore and its about time he grew up.

INexcusable?

Exactly - add in Andy Coulson and Team Nigella comments criticised by judge for nearly derailing trial and you have a well rounded picture of a balanced thoughtful person

It does make you think though- that the PM was prepared to support him, without waiting to know the full facts. Makes you think about more important issues- if that is the way he handles this!

Some ( sighs at inability to handle auto correct)

Well that's a new definition of an idiot - someone who launches a foul mouthed tirade and physically assaults a subordinate . I'd call home something else

Certainly hope that our Prime Minister will have the decency to apologise for getting involved, but mainly for excusing the unexcusable physical and verbal assault and bullying.

It just shows that they have lost their grip on what matters in life.

Hammond sounds as if he is hedging his bets:
^Gutted at such a sad end to an era. We're all three of us idiots in our different ways but it's been an incredible ride together.
3:20 PM - 25 Mar 2015^

TRAGEDY!!!!!!!!!
I'm speechless!

How on earth can that man's appalling behaviour be condoned let along called a tragedy in light of the awful accident yesterday?

A terrible tragedy happened yesterday- and Clarkson was NOT IT

Here is the original and literary definition of "tragedy" -

"noun - (in ancient Greek theatre) a play in which the protagonist, usually a man of importance and outstanding personal qualities, falls to disaster through the combination of a personal failing and circumstances with which he cannot deal"

So I suppose you could say that it is a tragedy that his hubris led him to behave so crassly that he has thrown away his position as part of a successful series.

In the current meaning of the word, though, it is a long way from the tragedy of the fatal disasrter that shares today's headlines. He will survive the bad publicity - may even thrive on it in some circles.

gt
I agree - I also seem to remember that Oliver Reed at least, died a broken man and certainly not a respected one.

Oh bloody hell auto correct - autres temps, autres moeurs as I tried to say!

Merlot - you are talking about a very different time. Things have changed - it's really quite irrelevant now how these men behaved and were treated - actress temps, alters moeurs as they say.

Well Eddie Mair is my hero now, for standing his ground against Yentob.
Yentob refused to say that JC had been sacked, only that his contract wasn't being renewed, and it didn't matter that JC was still being paid out if taxpayers' money till the end of the week
Yentob then, as phoenix says, was really quite rude to Eddie, saying that he couldn't believe Eddie was seriously questioning the appropriateness of paying Clarkson for the remaining 4 days of his contract. He said something like 'you're kidding me Eddie if you are really asking me that question'
Let's hope that Eddie's contract is renewed!
Then on the news, we were informed that Clarkson had been 'axed'.
Axed? What's wrong with the S-word?
There then followed an elegiac account of Clarkson's career on the Beeb, in hallowed tones.
mrA actually came in from the garage mid-eulogy and said 'Has he died?'
I know we are used to media people bigging themselves up, but this was beyond the pale.

I also know you didn't condone the behaviour merlot, I just wondered what alternative there was?

The wrong sort of message certainly, whitewave but do you remember the roistering and sometimes violent behaviour of some of the stars of days gone by? Richard Burton, Richard Harris, Oliver Reed et al. They were huge stars who earned their film companies mega bucks.

They were usually hailed as heroes and nobody gave a damn about the message they might send out.

Funny old world.

I have 2 grandsons who watch the programme avidly - if Clarkson had got away with his behaviour what sort of message would that send the young?

Also police want to see the BBC's report.... We can but hope....

Just seen James May in 6 o'clock news - he said it was ' a tragedy' and a 'small thing'. WTF? He then made a joke and went inside. Nice man....

if you have ever been hit in the face you will know it is really, really horrible. It looks like nothing on the TV and films but it is a real shock. Great sympathy for the young man who was bullied, abused and attacked. Far more detail has been released than would normally be the case e.g. if he was an actual employee.

I heard some of the too phoenix and thought that Alan Yentob came across as arrogant and rude and quite obviously a supporter of Clarkson.Glad to hear that Greg Dyke has spoken out against Clarkson and said that his behaviour was unacceptable. This wasn't just someone losing their temper and pushing another person, which would be bad enough, as soon said, just look at your watch for 30 seconds, that is a long time to be being hit, and it would appear that Clarkson only stopped when he was pulled off the producer.

Perhaps it was the wrong choice of words, Ana but they obviously had to sack him so could lose out with income and ratings.

No, I know you haven't merlot, it was just the 'hiding to nothing' statement I found confusing - it's not as though the BBC sacked JC for any other reason than his own stupid behaviour.

Yes, Jonathan Ross is certainly being employed sporadically by the BBC, he's currently standing in for Steve Wright on Radio 2 and has done so before.