Following Jeremy Clarkson's controversal BBC dismissal, James May and Richard Hammond have both hinted they won't continue to present hit television series Top Gear without him.

Richard Hammond and James May

Richard Hammond and James May

The controversial host was sacked by the BBC yesterday after it was revealed he'd launched a 20-minute tirade of verbal abuse followed by a 30-second physical attack on producer Oisin Tymon and his co-hosts have now suggested they may not agree to return without him.

James may said that he is ready to go "back to normal life" and is considering taking up a more normal job, such as being a teacher.

He's reported by MailOnline as saying: "I might want to do something completely different with my life, I'm quite old now. [I might do] something outside of cars, I always wanted to be a teacher."

The 52-year-old star claims he's not yet spoken to Jeremy, 54, about him being fired but appeared to confirm reports he's planning to quit the show.

May shared: "I always said that on the day it ends for me I'll have to be magnanimous and look back and say, 'Well that was a stroke of luck, now back to normal life', and that seems to have happened.

"We did it for 12 years. It's a very big moment in our lives, but nothing was going to last forever. We always knew it wasn't going to last forever. We just didn't know how it was going to end.

"So here I go, 'I'm about to eat some beans and go back to my normal life."

Speaking about the BBC's decision to sack Jeremy, James added: "It was a very harsh one, but I think they were probably forced.

"I don't actually know the entire story. A lot of people are making judgements about it, but they don't know the full story either so I don't know.

"This only happened yesterday. We have to spend a lot of time thinking about what we do next."

Clarkson was dropped by the broadcaster after an internal inquiry found he'd launched an "unprovoked" attack on Tymon - who had to take himself to A&E following the incident - after he was offered a plate of cold food instead of steak and chips after a shoot.

However, Hammond also appears to be standing by his close pal and colleague.

He wrote on Twitter yesterday (25.03.15): "Gutted at such a sad end to an era. We're all three of us idiots in our own different ways but it's been an incredible ride together. (sic)"

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