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Controversial radio presenter Jon Gaunt has hit out at calls to replace axed BBC presenter Jeremy Clarkson.

Coventry's 'shock jock' took to his Twitter account this morning to air his views on rumours that BBC bosses could be set to replace Clarkson - who was sacked yesterday following his most recent controversy - with a new presenter.

Jodie Kidd, who managed to clock the fastest time in the show's Star In A Reasonably Priced Car segment and holds the record, is tipped to take over from Clarkson by bookmakers, with Chris Evans, Katie Hopkins and Coventry City FC fan Eddie Jordan also among the favourites to replace the 54-year-old.

But Leamington-based Gaunt, who was sacked by TalkSport in 2008 after calling a local councillor a “Nazi” live on air in a row over smokers being banned from becoming foster parents, reckons replacing Clarkson with somebody would see the show lose its appeal.

Gaunt expanded in his next tweet: "Top Gear isn't about the cars! It's about three guys and their relationships to cars and each other."

John Bracken was one social media user who agreed, writing: "The chemistry between the three won't be recreated."

Mark Bedford, meanwhile, commented: "Spot on Gaunty! A new Top Gear will be a watered down PC version. That won't pull in 2 million viewers."

Clarkson was originally suspended by the BBC after he engaged in a 'fracas' with a member of Top Gear's production team following a catering dispute, and saw his contract terminated yesterday.

Gaunt told the Telegraph: "My belief is that Top Gear is not about the cars. It's about three middle-aged men, and if you remove one of those, you'll lose that dynamic between them It will become like any other show on TV.

"The BBC can replace him with whoever they want. Jodie Kidd is a fabulously talented woman, but the BBC are wrong to sack him as Top Gear is such an unusual show.

"It features three over-privileged men - and a lot of their views I don't agree with - but it's not often you can see that sort of show on the BBC."

Gaunt also urged the British public to keep a sense of perspective on Clarkson's removal, saying: "Things boil over in working environments all the time.

"There's more important things than a bit of handbags in a hotel. We need to keep a sense of perspective when there will be 60,000 kids in children homes across the country tonight."

Clarkson's fellow presenters on the show, James May and Richard Hammond, spoke out about the end of an era via their own Twitter accounts and labelled Clarkson's dismissal as the "end of an era".