Clarkson's Top Gear Festival Australian visit in doubt

Mystery remains over whether or not Jeremy Clarkson will still make his way to Australia next month for Top Gear's Sydney festival, following a "fracas" with a producer last week.

Clarkson, 54, has been suspended by the BBC after he was accused of allegedly hitting producer Oisin Tymon for not getting him dinner in time when filming for the BBC show in Newcastle. The BBC issued a statement this week saying it had suspended the controversial television identity "pending an investigation".

"No one else has been suspended. Top Gear will not be broadcast this Sunday," the statement read. Whether Clarkson will join Richard Hammond and James May next month at the Top Gear Festival Sydney is yet to be confirmed.

 Clarkson has refused to comment specifically on the altercation

When Confidential asked organisers whether he would still be jetting Down Under, a spokesman said: "There are at present no plans to either cancel or postpone the Top Gear Festival in Australia. As things stand the event will go ahead as planned." Clarkson has refused to comment specifically on the altercation, however in true Clarkson style has tweeted cryptic messages ever since the incident took place.

"Sorry Ed. It seems I knocked your "I'm a human" piece down the news agenda," he wrote in an apparent reference to British politician Ed Miliband. He then re-tweeted a fan who was concerned that audiences would be punished for Clarkson's behaviour.

"How can @BBC not show the remaining episodes of Top Gear, cant this be resolved without making the fans suffer," Nathan Badcock tweeted.

Last month Clarkson also took to social media to attempt to find a new host for the popular show after James May was late on set. "Wanted: new presenter for Top Gear. Applicant should be old, badly dressed and pedantic but capable of getting to work on time," he wrote.

Clarkson has found himself in hot water many times. In 2004, Clarkson struck journalist Piers Morgan at the British Press Awards. He was given his "final warning" last year following racist comments.

JEREMY CLARKSON'S GREATEST HITS

• 2014 Video footage was leaked to the Daily Mirror which showed Clarkson using a racist term while reciting the nursery rhyme Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe.
   
• 2014 Top Gear was ruled to have breached broadcasting rules after Clarkson used the word "slope" to describe Asian men.
   
• 2013 Clarkson was embroiled in controversy in Australia when the chief operating officer of Top Gear Live told paparazzi Clarkson would never return to Australia, after the host was confronted by a troupe of paparazzi photographers. Clarkson allegedly said: 'You can take them out of England, but you can't take the convict out of them."
   
• 2012 Clarkson compared the design of a camper van to people with facial disfigurements. This was later ruled as a breach of the disability guidelines by the BBC Trust.
   
• 2012 Indian diplomats complained about a 90-minute India special in which a car fitted with a toilet in its boot is described by the controversial host as 'perfect for India because everyone who comes here gets the trots".
   
• 2011 The BBC apologised to Mexico after Top Gear characterised Mexicans as "lazy".
   
• 2008 Clarkson cracked a joke on air about lorry drivers murdering prostitutes. This warranted more than 1000 complaints to the BBC.