Director of BBC television Danny Cohen has leapt to the defence of Jeremy Clarkson, writing an open letter in which he says he does not believe the ‘Top Gear’ presenter is “racist”.
The presenter came under fire earlier this year after becoming involved in a number of controversies over his use of language, which has been deemed racist by some critics. This included an unaired clip from ‘Top Gear’, which surfaced online in May, where he was heard mumbling what appeared to be a racist slur while reciting the children’s rhyme ‘Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Mo.’
Jeremy Clarkson
However, in a letter published in The Guardian, Danny has insisted that Jeremy isn’t a racist, writing: “While Jeremy and I disagree on the language some have recently found very offensive, I do not think he or anyone on the Top Gear team are racist.”
Later In the letter, he goes on to address the controversy surrounding the BBC motoring series, after it was reported yesterday that the staff who work on the show had been quizzed as part of a ‘racism’ investigation, launched by Danny.
“I instigated a health check on ‘Top Gear’ to ensure that there were no further issues.
“The focus now is on the future and continuing the great success of Top Gear with audiences. I’m confident the hard-working, high-quality production team will deliver this.”
Jeremy recently revealed that he'd been given a severe warning from the BBC, explaining: "I've been told by the BBC that if I make one more offensive remark, anywhere, at any time, I will be sacked."