Jeremy Clarkson: Suspended Top Gear presenter laughs off row and jokes 'I'm off to the job centre'
Jeremy Clarkson joked that he was "off to the job centre" when he faced a media scrum outside his west London home today.
The Top Gear host was driven away in a blacked-out people carrier amid a storm over reports he threw a punch at producer Oisin Tymon during a 'fracas' over catering.
Speaking outside his Holland Park penthouse home today, 54-year-old Clarkson appeared to laugh off his latest controversy.
"I've been suspended haven't I?" he said, adding: "I'm just off to the job centre."
In reply to questions he said "I've been suspended", adding: "At least I'm going to be able to get to the Chelsea match tonight."
Asked if his suspension was over a row about food he said "no, no, no" but said "yes" when asked if he had any regrets about what had happened.
But Clarkson offered no answer when asked if he was going to be sacked or resign from Top Gear. The last three episodes of the show are not expected to air after the BBC confirmed Clarkson's suspension on Tuesday.
His brief appearance in public comes after a petition calling for the BBC to reinstate him to the motoring show surged past 400,000 signatories.
Perry McCarthy, who was the show's anonymous driver Stig for several years, said there had been a "complete over-reaction" by people "looking to be offended".
The BBC is investigating the allegations against Clarkson, but he could walk away from the show when his contract runs out at the end of the month.
All three of the show's hosts were understood to be days away from signing new contracts that would have kept them at the wheel of the show for another three years when Clarkson was suspended.
The BBC owns the rights to the Top Gear brand, which is valued at £50 million, and includes the show, DVD rights and live shows, raising the prospect of Top Gear continuing on the BBC while Clarkson takes a similar show to one of its rivals.
Two episodes of this series have been postponed and the future of the third and final episode is unclear after the bust-up which took place after filming in Newcastle.
