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.
Some supporters had their own reasons for believing Clarkson deserves a second chance:
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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
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