Jeremy Clarkson's Top Gear co-hosts declined an offer to continue the rest of the series without him, according to reports.
James May and Richard Hammond "didn't want to do it without Jeremy" a BBC executive reportedly said.
An option to have the pair fronting the studio segments of the show for the remaining episodes of this series was rejected, the unnamed executive said.
Clarkson was suspended after allegedly punching producer Oisin Tymon during a row - which took place after filming - over a hot meal at a hotel.
The last episodes of the series have been postponed, causing the BBC to lose millions of viewers and receive thousands of complaints.
It is believed Clarkson and Mr Tymon have now both given their evidence to the corporation's inquiry into the "fracas".
Hosts May and Hammond have tweeted about their time off in recent days.
Yesterday May wrote: "Seriously, if you really are unemployed, good luck to you. It's not funny in reality."
Hammond tweeted a picture of his dog and said: "Not trying to be cryptic, just enjoying a gorgeous morning. Off."
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article