Jeremy Clarkson news: Ex-Top Gear host avoids police probe over The Sun Meghan Markle article

Column received record number of Ipso complaints as politicians demand answers from The Sun

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Jeremy Clarkson will remain the host on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? “at the moment”, ITV boss Kevin Lygo has confirmed.

Lygo criticised the 62-year-old presenter’s comments about Meghan Markle, describing his tirade as “awful”.

In an op-ed published by The Sun on Friday (16 December), Clarkson wrote that he dreamt of the day Markle would be made to parade naked through Britain while the crowd chanted “shame” and threw “excrement” at her.

Clarkson claimed that “everyone who’s my age thinks the same way”.

The Sun has now removed Clarkson’s comment piece from its website. “In light of Jeremy Clarkson’s tweet he has asked us to take last week’s column down,” the page now reads.

More than 60 cross-party MPs have written to The Sun’s editor to demand an apology and “action taken” against Clarkson. The SNP’s shadow culture minister also called for Clarkson to be banned from TV altogether.

Ipso confirmed on Tuesday 20 December that it had received over 17,500 complaints about the presenter’s column, more than the total it received in 2021.

Key points

• ITV boss says Clarkson to remain Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? host 'for the moment'
• What Clarkson said
• More than 60 MPs complain to The Sun editor
• Jeremy Clarkson’s Meghan Markle column breaks Ipso complaints record

[22 December 2022 11:42 · Peony Hirwani]

Jeremy Clarkson’s Meghan Markle column breaks Ipso complaints record

[22 December 2022 12:42 · Peony Hirwani]

SNP politician John Nicolson has shared some of the abusive messages he’s received over the past day after calling for ITV to get rid of Clarkson.

He’s not the only person to have reportedly suffered online abuse over the subject – Carol Vorderman said she received “a lot of abuse” after criticising the ex-Top Gear host.