There is a lot of speculation about what happened. All that has been said officially is that there was a 'fracas' - an unusual choice of words but presumably one which was used deliberately and carefully. If he was alleged to have actually struck someone, why not say so? Those who dislike Clarkson naturally assume the worst, but I suspect the situation is a lot more complex.

Nevertheless it puts the BBC in a difficult position. Violence in the workplace cannot be tolerated, but the show is chiefly built around the personalities of the presenters and the chemistry between them, and of all of them Clarkson would be the hardest to replace. The BBC must have been well aware of this when they bought out his share in the show only a couple of years ago.