I loved his live appearances too, Will...and also his regular columns in TGO (an outdoors magazine).

I enjoyed it when he parodied the name of TGO's editor, Cameron McNeish, into Macaroon Camiknickers, as I understand from mutual acquaintances that McNeish *hated* it but felt unable to edit it without making himself appear hyper-sensitive. Harding knew this and tried to get it into every column at least once!

I agree that the manner of his termination could have been handled much better....but this is the BBC, bastion of Birt-speak, top-heavy hierarchical structures and (surprising for such a liberal-appearing organisation whose "house journal" is considered to be The Guardian) over-deference to authority.