'Reinstate Clarkson' Petition Tops 250,000

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An online petition calling for the BBC to reinstate Jeremy Clarkson has been signed by more than 250,000 people.

The Top Gear presenter was suspended and the show put on hold after he allegedly tried to hit one of the producers at the end of filming in Newcastle.

The producer involved in what the BBC called a "fracas", said to have been over a lack of catering, has been named by the Daily Mirror as Oisin Tymon, 36.

The paper quotes a source as saying Clarkson "snapped" when he discovered no food had been laid on.

A BBC spokeswoman said: "Following a fracas with a BBC producer, Jeremy Clarkson has been suspended pending an investigation.

"No one else has been suspended. Top Gear will not be broadcast this Sunday. The BBC will be making no further comment at this time."

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The online campaign on Change.org was created with the social-media hashtag #BringBackClarkson by right-wing blogger Guido Fawkes.

The presenter's daughter Em Clarkson also tweeted her support: "Oh God, BBC please take him back... he's started cooking..."

Hours after the suspension was announced, Clarkson's co-presenter James May took to Twitter to say: "No Top Gear this weekend, apparently. How about [the film] 633 Squadron instead?"

Fellow host Richard Hammond replied: "No, surely, Last of the Summer Wine; no one will notice the difference. Job done."

Clarkson then broke his silence, replying that the film Where Eagles Dare - about the rescue of a US general held captive in WWII - should be shown instead.

The presenter, who has been involved in a number of high-profile gaffes in recent years, was put on what the corporation called his final warning in 2014.

It followed claims he used the n-word while reciting the nursery rhyme Eeny, Meeny, Miny Moe during filming of the BBC2 programme.

Clarkson said he was "horrified" that it sounded as though he used racist language in the out-take, which was not broadcast.

The Sun newspaper, for which Clarkson is a columnist, said he shrugged off his suspension and quoted him as saying: "I'm having a nice cold pint and waiting for this to blow over."

Over the years there have been numerous calls for Clarkson to be sacked, including online petitions signed by thousands of people, but all have been ignored.

Talking to Sky News, former BBC chairman Michael Grade described him as "the Kevin Pietersen of broadcasting. You can't live with him or without him," he said.

Top Gear is one of the BBC's biggest money spinners, pulling in millions of pounds from a devoted - and international - audience.

This Sunday's episode was set to feature Clarkson with co-hosts Hammond and May getting to grips with classic cars such as a Fiat 124 Spider, an MGB GT and a Peugeot 304 cabriolet.

They were going to take to the road and end up at a classic track day, with Gary Lineker due to be the "star in a reasonably priced car".

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