Clarkson warns ‘protest never works’ as tank delivers petition

Suspended Top Gear presenter makes expletive-laden rant against BBC executives

Jeremy Clarkson has declared that "protest never works", in a seemingly veiled reference to the support he has received since he was suspended over what the BBC termed a "fracas".

The Top Gear presenter, using a sealife analogy, said he believes the world is “run by whales” and refers to himself as plankton.

Writing in his The Sun column Clarkson said: “The simple truth of the matter is this: Protest never works. Because we are all plankton. And the world is run by whales. Oh, you can be a big and important plankton but that doesn’t make a jot of difference if a whale has decided to eat you up.

“You can get a million other plankton to dress up and wave banners but Mr Whale won’t even notice.”

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A petition calling for the presenter’s reinstatement on Top Gear, which gathered almost one million signatures, was delivered by tank to BBC headquarters in London yesterday, and Clarkson tweeted his thanks for the support.

He was suspended after allegedly punching producer Oisin Tymon during a row - which took place after filming - over a hot meal at a hotel.

Using his column to describe how work to upgrade the London sewerage system may disrupt him after he was informed of potential plans to dig a hole outside his front door, Clarkson appeared to refer to the question mark over his future career.

He wrote: “I don’t doubt it will be impossible to do any work while the site is operational but hey, maybe I won’t have to. Watch this space.”

Clarkson’s future on the BBC is likely to be decided next week when the corporation’s internal investigation into his behaviour is handed over to the director-general.

Video footage from a charity event in Camden earlier this week showed Clarkson enter into an expletive-laden rant against BBC executives during an appearance on stage.

After appearing to suggest he may be sacked he said: “To be in the audience of Top Gear there was an 18-year waiting list. You know the BBC has f***** themselves, and so who gives a f***?

“It was a great show and they f***** it up.”

PA