Comedian Bob Mortimer - who, incidentally, runs a production company with Lisa Clark, who walked from Top Gear a few months back - has set the cat amongst the pigeons by tweeting the following, which had largely gone unnoticed until it was picked up by The Guardian yesterday. 

The paper reports: "The BBC director general, Lord Hall, said last week in the wake of Dame Janet Smith's review that the corporation’s attitude toward 'the talent' was a 'crucial' issue and that the BBC needed to be a place 'where everyone feels able to speak truth to power'. Clark left the show in December after five months, despite having worked with Evans before on The Big Breakfast. According toThe Sun, when the new Top Gear lineup was revealed earlier this month, Mortimer - who formed Pett Productions with Clark and Vic Reeves in 2001 - called new Top Gear host Chris Evans a 'c*nt' in a now-deleted tweet."

The BBC have come out to defend Evans, with acting director of television, Mark Linsey saying: "It is rubbish to suggest Chris Evans’ behaviour on the set of Top Gear has been in any way unprofessional. He is a passionate presenter who commits his heart and soul into everything he does - whether his Radio 2 show, Children In Need or Top Gear - and we are extremely fortunate to have him leading the show."

As for the latest "talent" to become part of the show - it's only Tinie Tempah.