Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Jeremy Clarkson will not face further BBC action as Top Gear n-word footage was not broadcast

The TV presenter has been heavily warned about his offensive behaviour

Jess Denham
Tuesday 02 December 2014 09:19 EST
Comments
Jeremy Clarkson has been warned by the BBC but no further action will be taken after his use of the n-word in Top Gear outtakes
Jeremy Clarkson has been warned by the BBC but no further action will be taken after his use of the n-word in Top Gear outtakes (Getty Images)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Jeremy Clarkson has escaped further BBC action for allegedly using a racist insult while filming for Top Gear.

The controversial TV presenter was heard mumbling the n-word while reciting children’s nursery rhyme “Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe” in outtakes from the show, leading to widespread outrage.

Clarkson’s racial slur was not aired but some viewers complained to the BBC Trust about his behaviour. On hearing that their complaints would not be taken further as there was no case to answer, viewers appealed for the decision to be reviewed.

However, the Trust has now confirmed that no further action will be taken because the offending material was not broadcast and “apologies had been made”.

In a report published this week, the Complaints and Appeals Board agreed that the incident “did not engage editorial standards” and an appeal would have “no reasonable prospect of success”.

The committee noted that the BBC had left Clarkson “in no doubt about how seriously [it] views this”.

Shortly after the footage was published by the Daily Mirror, the BBC gave Clarkson a final warning, leading him to write in his newspaper column that one more offensive remark would likely see him sacked.

Top Gear star Jeremy Clarkson
Top Gear star Jeremy Clarkson (Getty Images)

Clarkson has recently been embroiled in a row with Argentina over the Top Gear number plate scandal'. The team was driving a Porsche with the registration number H982 FKL through the country when angry locals took it to be a deliberately provocative reference to the Falklands War.

The country's ambassador Alicia Castro wrote to the BBC Trust about the "inadequate" response she received from BBC director of television Danny Cohen about the incident, which he assured her was coincidental.

The Patagonia special will air at Christmas despite the controversy, the BBC confirmed last week.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in