Jeremy Clarkson said he is “horrified to have caused so much hurt” and “shall be more careful in future” after facing a backlash over comments he made in a newspaper column about how he “hated” the Duchess of Sussex.
The former Top Gear star addressed the scandal after a huge backlash over his latest column for The Sun.
Breaking his silence on the furore, Jeremy tweeted: "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."
Despite breaking his silence on the controversy, Twitter users have once again hit out at Clarkson over his 'pathetic' apology as many have slammed the presenter for not using the word 'sorry' anywhere while addressing the backlash.
"There's a serious lack of apology here. What was that? He is just saving his own back," one fumed.
"Most pathetic apology in history. Using the words 'oh dear' in response to such hateful and vengeful words. It's not acceptable," another fumed.
It comes after the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) has received more than 12,000 complaints over an article written by Jeremy Clarkson about the Duchess of Sussex.
The former Top Gear presenter, 62, revealed he fantasises about people 'throwing excrement' at Meghan Markle after watching the Sussex's Netflix series.
Clarkson has sent shockwaves after writing in the column that he wants the Duchess of Sussex to be 'paraded naked through the streets' and 'dreams of people throwing lumps of excrement at her'.
He also wrote that he 'hated Meghan on a cellular level' in the explosive article published in The Sun newspaper on Friday.
A spokesman for the media watchdog has now said the complaints are being assessed in accordance with its standard procedure, and that the number was subject to change.
The spokesman added that IPSO had received a total of 14,355 complaints in 2021.
To illustrate how much he dislikes Meghan, Jeremy compared his disdain for her to his feelings towards SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon and serial killer Rose West - adding that she tops the list.
"Meghan, though, is a different story. I hate her. Not like I hate Nicola Sturgeon or Rose West. I hate her on a cellular level," the former Top Gear host penned.
In the article, Clarkson also wrote that he loathed Meghan 'on a cellular level'.
He said he was "dreaming of the day when she is made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while the crowds chant, ‘Shame!’ and throw lumps of excrement at her”.
“Everyone who’s my age thinks the same way," he added.
Clarkson has been widely slammed for his cruel remarks, which came off the back of the final three episodes of Harry and Meghan airing on Netflix.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has now weighed in on the controversy.
The Prime Minister said that the UK is not a racist country, when asked about comments Jeremy Clarkson made in the newspaper column about the Duchess of Sussex, but said that 'language matters'.
He said: “I think for everyone in public life, language matters. You asked about racism. Now, I’ve seen some of the things that have been said.
“I absolutely don’t believe that Britain is a racist country. And I’d hope that as our nation’s first British Asian Prime Minister when I say that it carries some weight.
“You know, I’m really proud of our country, its culture, its resilience, its beauty. And actually, it’s an enormous privilege to champion Britain and indeed, its institutions like the monarchy when I’m out and about on the world stage as I am here today.”
On Sunday, Clarkson's own daughter Emily said: "I want to make it very clear that I stand against everything my dad wrote about Meghan Markle."
Emily further condemned her father's 'misogyny' as she added: "My views are and have always been clear when it comes to misogyny, bullying and the treatment of women by the media. I remain standing in support of those targeted with online hatred."
Elsewhere, former Countdown star Carol Vorderman also slammed Clarkson as she took to Twitter to write: "NO Jeremy Clarkson. Not on any level, in any circumstance, is it ok to write this stuff about any woman and absolutely NO to 'everyone who's my age thinks the same' No no no. We absolutely do NOT think the same. Listen to the noise Jeremy. The crowds are chanting 'shame on YOU'."
"I’m your age @JeremyClarkson and I couldn’t disagree more with you. Why do you have to be so horrible? I can’t believe it’s good for you and it certainly isn’t good for the rest of us," Jacqui Smith MP hit back.
Speaking to broadcasters on Monday, Ms Nicola Sturgeon said Clarkson’s comments about the Duchess were “beyond the pale”.
“I think what he said about Meghan Markle was deeply misogynist and just downright awful and horrible,” she said.
“I have to say, taking a step back from it, my overwhelming emotion about guys like Jeremy Clarkson is pity. I mean, what is it that makes somebody so distorted by hate that they end up writing these things?
“I think that possibly gives an insight into Jeremy Clarkson and the kind of person he is. So maybe he just needs to take a step back from things and just think about life a bit more.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said Clarkson’s remarks were “dangerous and inexcusable”, writing: “As Jeremy Clarkson should well know – words have consequences.
“The words in his piece are no joke – they’re dangerous and inexcusable.
“We are in an epidemic of violence against women and girls and men with powerful voices must do better than this.”
Comedian John Bishop has also spoken out against Jeremy's 'disgusting' views on Meghan.
Taking to Twitter to hit back at Jeremy, John, 56, penned: "WTF is this ?? I don't care who you are or who you work for you simply can not write things like this.
"It is a blatant appeal to incite humiliation and violence on a woman. Some have excused it as dark humour. There is no joke here @JeremyClarkson and no excuse."
Elsewhere, English author Philip Pullman noted: “That Jeremy Clarkson can write things like that, and publish them unashamed, tells us all we need to know about the way Rupert Murdoch has poisoned and rotted our public life.”
Comedian Dom Joly also said he was “literally gobsmacked” at Clarkson’s “utterly vile and disgusting comments”.
“What is it about these type of men that triggers them so," he added.
BBC Live presenter Rachel Burden tweeted: “So... there’s Jeremy Clarkson writing what he did. And then the editor deciding to publish it.”
While Radio DJ and TV host Edith Bowman wondered “how is someone able to print such abusive comments in an actual newspaper?” in a tweet.
During Monday's instalment of Loose Women, the panellists also shared their thoughts.
"Although as a woman I find what he writes about her repulsive and I have to ask myself would I write that about a man, well probably I wouldn’t, but it will have gone through checks and balances editorially as The Sun has published it and they bare the legal responsibility.” - Janet Street-Porter said.
While Coleen Nolan shared: “It’s absolutely disgusting and in my opinion he shouldn’t be allowed to write that, I think it’s hate speech by saying someone should be paraded through the street with excrement thrown at them is just shocking to be honest with you.”
Elsewhere, Good Morning Britain host Charlotte Hawkins said: "It's hard to fathom how something like that could have been allowed to have been published.
"It was genuinely horrifying. It is bad enough to think it, bad enough to say it and bad enough to have it published in a newspaper," she added.
As well as Top Gear, Clarkson is known for his Amazon motoring show, The Grand Tour, which he presents alongside Richard Hammond and James May, as well as ITV’s Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
Amazon, ITV and The Sun have all been approached for comment.
The Mirror has reached out to Jeremy Clarkson's representatives for comment.
