Jeremy Clarkson has hinted that the time may have come for him to leave Top Gear, likening himself to a dinosaur that nature had made a mistake in inventing.
Writing his column for the Sun newspaper, he says that the day must come when you “wave goodbye to the big monsters”.He continues: “I don’t intend to dwell here on what happened then or what will happen in the future. I’m sure you’re as fed up with the story as I am.”
Clarkson goes on to apparently make light of the BBC suspending him “following a fracas”, saying that one news report had been “wildly inaccurate” in saying that he had been seen using a bus.
“I can assure you that things are bad. But they are not that bad,” he writes.
Clarkson’s column expands on the comparisons with the animal kingdom saying that big imposing creatures on the brink of extinction, like the polar bears or tigers, had no place in a world which has moved on.
He adds: “We lose one animal and we get another. The world turns.”
The presenter also thanks his fans, saying that one of the things that has cheered him up is the how many people have expressed their support.
More than 800,000 people signed a petition demanding he keep his job after he was suspended following the fracas with producer Oisin Tymon, which was sparked when Clarkson was told he could not have a £21.95 hot steak.
But it could be weeks until Clarkson’s fate is decided by an internal disciplinary inquiry.
It is understood not all the potential witnesses to the row have yet been contacted ahead of the hearing.
He is scheduled to appear alongside co-hosts James May and Richard Hammond at four live shows in Norway on 27 and 28 March and a decision on whether to go ahead is expected early next week.
All three men’s contracts expire three days after the Norway gigs, which could render any disciplinary hearings redundant.
Earlier this week, Clarkson joked about his position, telling reporters he was “just off to the job centre” and later changing his Twitter profile to read: “I am probably a presenter on the BBC2 motoring show Top Gear.”
