An online petition calling for the BBC to reinstate Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson has been signed by 400,000 people in two days, Radio New Zealand reports.
Clarkson, 54, was suspended after what the BBC has called a fracas with one of the show's producers. Media reports said that he had thrown a punch at a producer, Oisin Tymon, following a row about food.
BBC director-general Tony Hall said an investigation was going on to “gather the facts” about the incident.
The next episode of Top Gear will not be shown and it is understood the two final episodes in the series will also be dropped.
The online petition in support of Clarkson - set up by political blogger Guido Fawkes - was nearing half a million signatures less than 24 hours after it was launched. Meanwhile, a petition for the BBC to sack Clarkson has been signed by just 2000 supporters.
Clarkson was already on a final warning over accusations last year that he had used racist language while filming the show, the latest in a long line of controversial incidents involving the host.
Top Gear airs in more than 200 countries and is estimated to have a global audience of some 350 million, it is one of the BBC's most successful and lucrative programmes.