Bring Back Clarkson: Twitter campaign rallies support – of a kind
Jokes, songs, celebration and protest greet BBC decision, as 350,000 people sign petition to 'bring back Clarkson'

A campaign to bring back Jeremy Clarkson to the BBC's Sunday-night schedule got underway the moment the Top Gear presenter was suspended by the broadcaster for getting into a "fracas" with a producer.
By early this morning, a petition started by political blogger Guido Fawkes had been signed by more than 350,000 people, and many more took to Twitter to express their dismay at the decision to cancel the next two episodes of Top Gear.
Some supporters had their own reasons for believing Clarkson deserves a second chance:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
He might be an idiot. But he's our idiot. #BringBackClarkson pic.twitter.com/3JTLowJZm2— James Hayes (@mrhayes_mfc) March 10, 2015
Please please please #BringBackClarkson. He is our Gandhi and we're 70-80% pretty sure he didn't touch any children #JeSuisClarkson— RHYS HOWELL (@rhys_isterix) March 11, 2015
Have a bit of sense @BBC. He's the greatest entertainer you've ever had. #BringBackClarkson pic.twitter.com/NB7EInmfqw— Danny Ings Fan (@FutbolFinn) March 10, 2015
POLITICAL CORRECTNESS GONE MAD CAN'T A MAN BE RACIST HOMOPHOBIC AND VIOLENT AND KEEP HIS JOB ANYMORE? I BLAME THE LEFT #BringBackClarkson— John Gibby (@john_gibby) March 10, 2015
Bring back that fat, ugly, oftentimes idiotic bloke we love so much @BBC_TopGear @JeremyClarkson #BringBackClarkson pic.twitter.com/XLkEzZDR8W— Haris Nurfadhilah (@ayahbababa) March 11, 2015
As the controversy raged, Clarkson himself spent the evening joking with his fellow presenters about what the BBC could screen instead of Top Gear:
@MrJamesMay @RichardHammond I did some pretty good war documentaries. They could screen one of those.— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) March 10, 2015
Some people felt that Clarkson's suspension was reason enough to stop paying their licence fee:
Honestly think we should boycott paying the bbc licence in mass if they don't bring him back #BringBackClarkson— TVXTRA (@TvXtra) March 10, 2015
#BBC, please return me my TV licence in full as you have removed the only BBC program worth watching #BringBackClarkson @JeremyClarkson— Brendan Dyson (@brendan_dyson) March 10, 2015
Channel Four noted that this is not the first time the presenter has been in trouble. The broadcaster tweeted a compilation video of some of Clarkson's most controversial moments:
160,000 people sign a petition to #BringBackClarkson after Top Gear presenter was suspended for a "fracas".http://t.co/OVAISFOtfp— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) March 11, 2015
But some people felt that the defence of Clarkson came from somewhat unsavoury quarters:
I bet the Venn diagram of people who want to #BringBackClarkson overlaps almost perfectly with people who want to bring back hanging— David Lamb (@DavidLamb93) March 11, 2015
Touching to see the outpouring of love for racist, bigot and steadfast supporter of Rebekah Brooks... Take a bow Britain #BringBackClarkson— Martin Samuel (@themartinsamuel) March 10, 2015
If you're undecided which side of #BringBackClarkson you are: Katie Hopkins has come out pro-Jeremy— Alistair Coleman (@scaryduck) March 10, 2015
And others were just moved to song:
To the tune of Eleanor Rigby: Jeremy Clarkson In a fracas, over food On the set of Top Gear Could cost him dear — Martin Belam (@MartinBelam) March 11, 2015
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - February 22, 2025
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - bricking it, I can buy myself flowers, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 exclusive cartoons about Trump and Putin negotiating peace
Cartoons Artists take on alternative timelines, missing participants, and more
By The Week US Published
-
The AI arms race
Talking Point The fixation on AI-powered economic growth risks drowning out concerns around the technology which have yet to be resolved
By The Week UK Published
-
Why are we so obsessed with The Traitors?
In the Spotlight It's the BBC's most scheming, manipulative and treacherous show – and viewers can't get enough
By Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, The Week UK Published
-
Gregg Wallace: a man out of time?
Talking Point MasterChef presenter's downfall shines spotlight on how mistreatment of junior staff has all too often been ignored
By The Week UK Published
-
Gregg Wallace apologises for 'women of a certain age' jibe
Speed Read MasterChef presenter says he was 'not in a good headspace' when he made the comments regarding complainants
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light – still a 'crown jewel'
The Week Recommends This 'superlative' Tudor drama returns to BBC One and remains 'appointment weekly viewing'
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
Threads: how apocalyptic pseudo-documentary shocked a nation
In the Spotlight The rarely shown nuclear annihilation film will reappear on TV screens this week
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
'Ludwig': David Mitchell's new quaint and quirky British detective drama
The Week Recommends The BBC's new cosy crime drama is the 'role of a lifetime' for Mitchell
By The Week UK Published
-
The Grand Tour: One For The Road – a trip down memory lane
The Week Recommends Our 'gouty trio' bow out after 21 years together with banter, breakdowns, and efforts not to blub
By The Week Staff Published
-
Mishal Husain: BBC journalist shares her six favourite books
The Week Recommends Newsreader and Radio 4 presenter picks works by Louisa May Alcott, Jamil Ahmad and more
By The Week UK Published