Jeremy Clarkson attends Bahrain Grand Prix amid questions over his future

Jeremy Clarkson has been spotted at tonight’s Bahrain Grand Prix to watch his ‘first Formula 1 race in years’, as questions remain over his future as host of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

The TV presenter denied he had been sacked last week following reports that ITV would be lining up people to replace him as host of the popular quiz show, tipping names such as Warwick Davis, Victoria Coren Mitchell and Sandi Toksvig.

And while the network also denied this, ITV boss Carolyn McCall said it has “no future obligations” to Clarkson after this season of the programme.

It came after the furore over the host’s outspoken comments about Meghan Markle in a December column, in which he said he dreamed she was “paraded naked through the streets” while people “threw clumps of excrement at her.”

But these issues seemed far from his mind as he appeared in good spirits at Formula 1 in the Middle East today, saying he was excited to be back.

The TV presenter told Sky Sports’ Martin Brundle it was the ‘first Formula 1 race I’ve been to in years’ and he was looking forward to being back

Speaking to Sky Sports’ Martin Brundle, Clarkson said it was the ‘first Formula 1 race I’ve been to in years’.

He said, ‘It’s just so great to be back. I love Formula 1. It was raging for years and years and now it’s back because they can follow each other and the aerodynamics are so much better.

“My daughter is a really big fan now, so I can talk to her about it. I can’t believe how big (the cars) have gotten! I’m just buzzing with excitement about it all.”

However, the 62-year-old was reluctant to play favorites when asked who he was looking for to win the race.

He said, ‘It’s not like football, you don’t have a team. I love Alfa Romeos, always have. Alpine is my local team in Chipping Norton, so I support them a little bit.

“I’m friends with some people at Red Bull and I’m here with Salman (the Crown Prince of Bahrain). Don’t know. But Max (Verstappen) is going to win the race. Who comes second? That is the question.’

His public appearance comes days after reports emerged that ITV was eyeing celebrities to replace him as presenter of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? with bookmaker William Hill listed odds for over 10 television personalities.

But Clarkson took to Twitter on Wednesday night to deny the claims, writing, “I have not been fired as host of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.”

Jeremy Clarkson with Charles Gordon-Lennox, Duke of Richmond on the grid in Bahrain

The Clarkson’s Farm host faced backlash after a column he wrote saying he “hated” Meghan Markle (pictured here with husband Prince Harry)

Great Britain’s Jonathan Wheatley and Oracle Red Bull Racing and Jeremy Clarkson talk ahead of Bahrain F1 Grand Prix

The former Top Gear host caused a backlash after she fantasized in a newspaper column about the Duchess of Sussex being paraded naked through the streets as people threw ‘excrement’ at her, in an apparent reference to a public disgrace scene from fantasy TV series Game of Thrones.

It prompted the press watchdog IPSO to investigate the column and sparked speculation that Clarkson’s hit shows on Amazon Prime had been withdrawn after bosses at the streaming service were reportedly left ‘glowing’.

His fans then feared he was ‘cancelled’ after ITV failed to confirm whether or not he would continue as host of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

ITV boss Carolyn McCall – who Piers Morgan previously claimed forced him out of Good Morning Britain – seemed to confirm Clarkson will not be continuing his post beyond the next series, which has already been filmed.

‘We have a contract. We’re contracted for this (season), so we’ll do that,” Ms. McCall told Variety magazine, adding, “And then we have no future commitments.”

Speaking of Clarkson’s column about Meghan, she added: “We don’t endorse that in any way… there’s no place for that on ITV.”

Last week, an ITV spokesperson said: ‘As we’ve been saying for several weeks, ITV is contractually committed to a new series of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (which is now included.)

“There are no further commissioning commitments beyond that currently, as is typical at such shows where we make commissioning decisions on a series-by-series basis.

Therefore, for the avoidance of doubt, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? nor Jeremy Clarkson have been canceled.”

Clarkson tweeted shortly after, “So many sweet messages about today’s coverage. But relax. Lisa and I have not broken up and I have not been fired as host of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.”