This Morning: Phil says he ‘likes’ Jeremy Clarkson

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In the article, published by the Sun in December 2018, Mr Clarkson defended Meghan. He wrote: “When Meghan Markle swapped being an actress for being a duchess, she was hailed as a breath of fresh air for the Royal Family – so why is she now being pilloried?… But then, after about seven minutes, everyone suddenly decided she’s actually a witch.”

The former journalist attacked the press, saying: “At this rate, it won’t be long before she is stripped and forced to walk naked through the streets of York while ­people with skin diseases chant “Shame!” and throw excrement at her.

“I can’t understand why this is happening. You don’t know her. I don’t know her. So why have we all ­suddenly decided she should be mocked and pilloried for every ­little thing she ever does?”

However, fast forward four years, and Mr Clarkson had changed his tune, ironically stating in his December 2022 that he would like to see Meghan paraded through the streets being pelted with excrement, using the same language he had criticised just four years earlier.

On Twitter, Meghan’s biographer, Mr Scobie wrote: “Hate can do some crazy things to you. Back in December 2018 Jeremy Clarkson actually wrote a column defending Meghan Markle, saying “heartless” media attacks were so bad it “won’t be long” before she is pilloried. Fast forward four years and he became the one calling for it.”

Although reticent in his reaction to his December 2022 column, Mr Clarkson recently took to Instagram to address the controversy.

In a statement, he wrote: “One of the strange things I’ve noticed in recent times is that whenever an MP or a well-known person is asked to apologise for something, no matter how heartfelt or profound that apology may be, it’s never enough for the people who called for it in the first place.

“So I’m going to try and buck the trend this morning with an apology for the things I said in a Sun column recently about Meghan Markle. I really am sorry. All the way from the balls of my feet to the follicles on my head. This is me putting my hands up. It’s a mea culpa with bells on.”

He continued: “Usually, I read what I’ve written to someone else before filing, but I was home alone on that fateful day, and in a hurry. So when I’d finished, I just pressed send. And then, when the column appeared the next day, the land mine exploded.”

Upon seeing what he’d written, Mr Clarkson said: “I couldn’t believe what I was reading. Had I really said that? It was horrible. I was very angry with myself because in all those controversial days on Top Gear, when I was accused of all sorts of things, it was very rarely sexism.

“I’m just not sexist and I abhor violence against women. And yet I seemed to be advocating just that.”

At the end of the lengthy social media post, Mr Clarkson pleaded with his followers. He wrote: “So can I move on now? Not sure. It’s hard to be interesting and vigilant at the same time.

You never hear peals of laughter coming from a health and safety seminar. But I promise you this, I will try. Who knows? Very soon now I shall be a grandfather so in future, maybe I’ll just write about that.”

While Mr Clarkson’s apology has been welcomed by some, it has nevertheless sent shock through the industry and many calls have been made for him to be sacked from his lucrative presenting roles.

Since the apology was made, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have responded in a public statement.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said in a statement: “While a new public apology has been issued today by Mr Clarkson, what remains to be addressed is his longstanding pattern of writing articles that spread hate rhetoric, dangerous conspiracy theories and misogyny.

“Unless each of his other pieces were also written ‘in a hurry’, as he states, it is clear that this is not an isolated incident shared in haste, but rather a series of articles shared in hate.”

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