Press watchdog IPSO launches investigation into Jeremy Clarkson Meghan article | UK News
The Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso) is launching an investigation into Jeremy Clarkson’s article in The Sun about the Duchess of Sussex.
The UK’s newspaper and magazine industry regulator said it had received more than 25,100 complaints about the piece, in which he said he “hated” the Duchess of Sussex.
Clarkson wrote in his column, published in December as the couple shared their headline-grabbing Netflix documentary series, that he was “dreaming of the day when [Meghan] is made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while crowds chant, ‘Shame!’ and throw lumps of excrement at her”.
But his remarks sparked a huge backlash, with Clarkson’s daughter Emily, as well as many others, speaking out against him.
The column became the most complained about ever and was removed from The Sun’s website at his request, with the publisher apologising.
Clarkson also addressed some of the backlash towards the imagery used in his piece, which he said was a reference to a scene in the television series Game of Thrones.
He wrote: “Oh dear. I’ve rather put my foot in it. In a column I wrote about Meghan, I made a clumsy reference to a scene in Game Of Thrones and this has gone down badly with a great many people. I’m horrified to have caused so much hurt and I shall be more careful in future.”
In a later statement, the presenter revealed he had emailed the couple to apologise over his piece.
However, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex dismissed the apology saying it was part of “a series of articles shared in hate”.
They also said that Clarkson “wrote solely to Prince Harry”.
It comes after it was reported that Amazon Prime Video is likely to cut ties with the TV host following the backlash over his column.
The streaming service has worked with Clarkson since 2015, with the TV star hosting hit shows The Grand Tour and Clarkson’s Farm.
Series two of Clarkson’s Farm will launch as planned in February, while the next series of The Grand Tour is still set to launch later in 2023.
However, as first reported by US entertainment site Variety, it is understood Amazon could stop working with the star beyond seasons of the shows that have already been commissioned.
Clarkson, who also presents ITV’s Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, admitted in second statement that both broadcasters were “incandescent” over his column.