Should the BBC sack Clarkson?

It doesn’t surprise me that Jeremy Clarkson has admitted to driving at 186mph on a public road. Our Jezza is a bit of a national treasure, and he’s become one by being gloriously, unashamedly incorrect. He delights in diving in where others fear to tread.

He puts on a great act. And while, sometimes, the things he comes out with make us cringe, on other subjects we find ourselves nodding in silent agreement. If he did drive that quickly, he’s crazy. Should we condemn him for doing so? Of course. I don’t think that even he would justify such behaviour.

Should, as voices from some quarters suggest, it cost him his job? I don’t think so. He’s a long history of saying the unsayable, whether the subject be cars, smoking, homosexuals or taxation. He’s blessed with an agile mind and a taste for controversy. And as our best-known car commentator, his outpourings prompt debate.

That’s worth a lot. I can’t imagine that BBC bosses are considering his future because he says he’s driven that fast. But, were they ever to, it would mean the loss of a true character and one of TV’s most watchable show hosts.

What do you think? Should the BBC consider sacking Jezza? Should he be let off with a reprimand, or should chiefs just shrug and say, ‘that’s who he is’?