Ex-BBC Boss Regrets Clarkson Got Fired, Says BBC Should Have Tried To Keep Him

Jeremy Clarkson, former Top Gear host, is regretted by more than just loyal fans of the famous motoring show.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, a former director general of the BBC, Mark Thompson, has stated that he believes that the station should have kept the ill-tempered presenter in its roster.

At the same time, Thompson describes Clarkson as a “deeply objectionable character,” and admits that punching a co-worker makes it hard for an employer to keep onboard.

Since the famous “fracas,” Jeremy Clarkson has formally apologized to Oisin Tymon, the producer that he punched because he did not arrange a warm meal after a long day of filming.

Meanwhile, Clarkson and his two co-presenters are preparing the first season of The Grand Tour, which is the Amazon show that has taken the old Top Gear team to pursue what they do best.

Over the course of the interview, which has its best parts transcribed in The Guardian, the former boss of the BBC said that Jeremy Clarkson was a “slightly out-of-control talent,” but one that the BBC could “ill afford to lose.” The loss of Clarkson and his two colleagues, Richard Hammond and James May, was seen in the ratings of the rebooted Top Gear Show.

After just one season, one of the leading presenters of the new Top Gear team, Chris Evans, stepped down from the role. Regarding Evans’ performance, Thompson said that he was confused as to why the radio celebrity was not himself, and pursued an imitation of Clarkson instead of just being Chris Evans.

However, the radio personality was described as “a great broadcaster,” a role that he has returned to since leaving Top Gear. While Mark Thompson left the BBC in 2012, his opinion on the matter still counts, as he knew his way around the station. Currently, Mr. Thompson is a chief exec at the New York Times