Outrage in UK over Meghan Markle being called “disgusting”

A column published in a UK tabloid has generated numerous criticisms of TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson for the words he used against Meghan Markle. Known for his controversial comments, British TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson is once again at the center of controversy.

This time it has been for a column he signed in the British tabloid The Sun last Friday in which he talked about how he feels about Meghan Markle, Prince Harry’s wife. In it he stated that he “hated her with every cell” and added, in a reference to the “Game of Thrones” series, that he would like to see her slammed in public.

“May she parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain, while crowds shout ‘Shame on you!’ and throw piles of excrement at her,” Clarkson wrote in his text, referring to the character of Cersei Lannnister who, in episode five of the show’s tenth season, faces a “walk of shame.”

The column has caused great outrage in the UK among the public and part of the media. Radio broadcaster James O’Brien of LBC said Clarkson’s words were “utterly disgusting”, while journalist Leona O’Neill said “vile comments like this are never okay, they are not black humor or jokes”.

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The UK press regulator, Ipso, had received more than 12,000 complaints from the public by Monday. The Sun newspaper removed the column from its website, while Clarkson issued what has been described as “an attempted apology.”

Clarkson’s comments about the Duchess of Sussex were published the day after the second part of the documentary series Harry & Meghan was released on Netflix. In it, the couple recounts the complicated relationship they had with the British media before and after they got married, especially because of the impact their coverage had on their lives and mental health.