Speaking in his first interview since the BBC decided not to renew his contract, he said he was "very sad" to have to leave the show after working for the BBC for 27 years.

But Clarkson told Chris Evans' Radio 2 show: "It was my own silly fault so I can hardly complain.

"It was very much my baby, I absolutely adored it and I worked all the time on it, I worked all through the night on it," he added.

The 55-year-old said he had been left with a "big hole" but "would never say anything bad about the BBC".

The corporation dropped the presenter from Top Gear in March after an internal investigation found a "line had been crossed" during his "fracas" with producer Oisin Tymon at a North Yorkshire hotel.

Mr Tymon had to drive himself to hospital after Clarkson left him with a split lip.

Clarkson received widespread public support in the wake of the incident - one million people signed a petition calling for the BBC to reinstate him.

He told Evans he was busier than ever since becoming unemployed but added: "I'm just getting really good at tennis."

In 2014 he told the radio host he would become a milkman if forced to give up Top Gear.

Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May are believed to be negotiating with a streaming service like Netflix or Amazon.

But Clarkson said he had not met any broadcasters and was just "listening" to options.

"You'd be a fool to just jump into something, you have to look at what's out there and what's the best thing to do."

The presenter will be leaving London for Belfast today for what was Top Gear Live but has now been renamed Clarkson, Hammond and May Live.

He said he was looking forward to "six months clowning around doing live shows" but called it "the most badly organised world tour in history".

Clarkson reassured fans that it would be the "same show as it's been for last 10 years, it's just called a different name".

The BBC plans to relaunch Top Gear with new presenters. Evans was linked to the reboot but has ruled himself out.