article_snippet.sent: he is credited with taking show from being a niche motoring programme to the most watched series on BBC 2.
article_snippet.sent: he brash presenting style and refusal to bow to PC culture earned he legions of admirers and critics, and controversy dogged he career.
article_snippet.sent: Despite Clarkson's unruly behaviour, he received an outpouring of public support, including from he friend and Prime Minister, David Cameron, while a million people signed a petition asking for he to be reinstated.