London - Jeremy Clarkson is said to be ‘confident’ he will return to the BBC but he may be given an executive minder to keep him on the straight and narrow.
“I think that people do see a way to resolve this, and that is by putting someone strong in to manage the show and manage Clarkson,” a senior BBC figure said last night.
“He is a brilliant broadcaster, everyone can see that.”
Clarkson’s executive producer on Top Gear is Andy Wilman, but BBC bosses are concerned that he cannot keep the presenter in check, following a string of controversies. Clarkson and Wilman have been friends since they both attended the £10 500-a-term (R190 000) Repton School in Derby.
Clarkson, 54, and Top Gear producer Oisin Tymon have now both given evidence to an internal inquiry into their ‘dust up’ over a steak in North Yorkshire, and a verdict on Clarkson’s future is expected within days.
Last night, a BBC spokesman said the corporation couldn’t say whether it is considering a new executive minder for Clarkson, adding: “We have an investigation under way to establish the facts, so we wouldn’t comment.”
Daily Mail