[ptack]

We may never get a definitive account of what happened at that dinner so it's speculation, but there is the possibility that if Clarkson really did act egregiously he might not get another chance anytime soon. Remember the recent BBC scandals about pediophile TV hosts. You can bet the BBC is now pretty sensitive about the behavior of all their stars. Some might think that hitting a producer wouldn't be that big a deal, but I bet 30 years ago some people though a lavicious Jimmy Saville wasn't all that big a deal either. Hopefully the matter will get cleared up and the show will go on (somewhere), but if Clarkson was violent without real provocation or lame excuse (i.e. he was drunk), he could be off the air for a long time.