Jeremy Clarkson will return to the BBC, says channel chief

BBC Two boss Kim Shillinglaw, who has been tasked with finding a replacement for the star on the hit motoring show, said the presenter would return at some point.

“Jeremy will be back on the BBC,” she said.

“It’s serious and unfortunate what happened but there is no ban on Jeremy being on the BBC. It’s a big deal what happened and Jeremy, as any human being would, needs some time.”

Referring to his decision to pull out of hosting Have I Got News For You, she added: “The BBC was prepared to have him on Have I Got News For You, it wasn’t the BBC’s decision not to go ahead with that particular show.”

She said the process of reinventing the show without its main star was “creatively exciting”.

The executive also confirmed that the presenter’s final Top Gear scenes, filmed before he was suspended for his attack on Oisin Tymon, will be screened later this year, saying: “No way would I want the available material not to be seen by viewers.”

She said that she was not thinking of his replacement “in terms of gender”, adding: “We’ll definitely look at some women, but it’s not a driving priority.”

The star was suspended by the BBC last month during an internal investigation after he attacked Top Gear producer Mr Tymon, splitting his lip and verbally abusing him. His contract was not renewed, with director-general Tony Hall saying “a line has been crossed” and “there cannot be one rule for one and one rule for another”.

Earlier this month, North Yorkshire Police said the star would face no further police action over his attack on the producer at a hotel.

Jeremy, who had a cancer scare before the incident, has said he is already thinking about his next television project.