Celebrities

BBC boss: Why I didn't sack Jeremy Clarkson

BBC boss: Why I didn't sack Jeremy Clarkson

BBC Director General Tony Hall has explained why Jeremy Clarkson was not fired after being accused of mouthing the N word on camera earlier this year.

In May 2014 The Mirror claimed Clarkson had mumbled "catch a n##### by his toe" when reciting the nursery rhyme "eeny, meeny, miny, mo" in unaired Top Gear footage. Clarkson denied doing so, saying he had tried his hardest not to use the word and hadn't done so but his efforts “obviously weren't good enough”.

Addressing the controversy in an interview with The Times (£), Lord Hall said Clarkson and the team were "absolutely remorseful about any hint that they were saying or doing anything that was racist".

"We had long discussions about that. We took it very seriously and we wanted to make sure the team knew what we thought about it. You’ve got to have the right boundaries. But nothing was broadcast", he said.

Clarkson was given a "final warning" by the BBC earlier this year after the incident.

More: Here are all the non-racist things Jeremy Clarkson has said

The Conversation (0)
x