A lot at steak (sic)?

What are we to make of this Jeremy Clarkson business?  Is this just a case of a celebrity being carried away by his own publicity, and throwing a hissy fit (and it seems, a punch) when things don't go his way?  Or is there more to it?  If I read it correctly, the punchee - if I can call him that - has made no official complaint, and it was Clarkson who effectively reported himself to the BBC.  That seems a bit strange unless, as has been suggested, he is seeking to bring to a head a long-standing feud he has with the BBC's Director of Television.  The BBC are in an awkward situation - Top Gear is an enormously successful programme, here and abroad.  And much of its popularity is down to Clarkson and his no-nonsense, call-a-spade-a-spade approach. Dare they sack him (some 900,000 people have signed an online petition calling for his reinstatement)?  Could the show survive without him - debateable? And if they don't sack him, will this be seen as giving carte blanche to any presenter to behave as they wish?  Personally, I feel he is as much sinned against as sinning - it seems to me that for a long time there has been an "anti-Clarkson" clique in the media who have taken a delight in picking on his peccadilloes - real or imaginary - and blowing them out of all proportion. I'm not a passionate follower of Top Gear, although I do watch it from time to time, so I have no particular axe to grind -  but I wish him well.