Nicola Sturgeon has hit out at Jeremy Clarkson over his "beyond the pale" comments about Meghan Markle in a newspaper column.
The Who Wants to be a Millionaire host said he "dreams of people throwing lumps of excrement at her" after watching Netflix docuseries on Harry and Meghan on Netflix.
In a bizarre rants in his Sun column Clarkson said he hated Markle more than serial killer Rose West and Scotland's First Minister. Sturgeon branded the comments "awful" and "horrible" saying Clarkson should take a "step back" and "think about life a bit more".
He wrote: "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."
"At night, I’m unable to sleep as I lie there, grinding my teeth and 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."
His comments grew criticism online with many celebrities and commentators saying the former Top Gear presenter went too far.
Speaking to Radio Clyde, Sturgeon said: "I think his comments about Meghan Markle are beyond the pale you know. I'm a politician people get to say all sorts of things about me and that's part of the democratic process.
"There is a thing here about everybody exercising the freedom of speech, whoever you are, and whatever your views are doing that with a sense of responsibility because words have consequences.
"I think everybody in modern society has to be very aware of that. I think what he said about Meghan Markle was deeply misogynistic and just downright awful and horrible.
"I have to say taking a step back from it, my overwhelming emotion about guys like Jeremy Clarkson is pity. 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."
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