DTC - // You are not interpreting my comments very well, andy. I KNOW Clarkson commented to his line, the question is how did Lucy Manning as a Beeb hack get hold of the story. That is where the error was made - otherwise, this could have been handled in so much a better way. //
Ok - understood.
My response would be that it is impossible to keep something like this secret.
Any number of witnesses could have talked to just about anyone, and straight away, because of Clarkson's profile, and he penchant for getting into bother, it's a news story.
I agree, if it had been kept under wraps, the outcome may have been different, but that's the penalty for employing, and indeed being, a high-profile presenter.