Jeremy Clarkson officially sacked from 'Top Gear'

LONDON, March 25 (UPI) -- Jeremy Clarkson has officially been fired from Top Gear.

BBC director general Tony Hall announced the news in a statement Wednesday. Clarkson has been on suspension from the series since March 10 following a physical altercation with producer Oisin Tymon on March 4.

"It is with great regret that I have told Jeremy Clarkson today that the BBC will not be renewing his contract," Hall said. "It is not a decision I have taken lightly. I have done so only after a very careful consideration of the facts and after personally meeting both Jeremy and Oisin Tymon."

"I cannot condone what has happened on this occasion," he continued. "[Tymon] - who is a completely innocent party - took himself to Accident and Emergency after a physical altercation accompanied by sustained and prolonged verbal abuse of an extreme nature. For me a line has been crossed."

"This decision should in no way detract from the extraordinary contribution that Jeremy Clarkson has made to the BBC," he qualified. "Jeremy is a huge talent. He may be leaving the BBC but I am sure he will continue to entertain, challenge and amuse audiences for many years to come."

Clarkson, 54, has co-hosted the automotive program since its revamp in 2002, and is credited with helping the show become the most widely-watched factual series in the world. The host is no stranger to controversy, and apologized for using a racial slur in a nursery rhyme in May 2014.