The tabloid The Sun triggered a record number of letters of complaint. As of Tuesday morning, more than 17,500 letters had been received, all directed against a single text. That’s more complaints than Britain’s Independent Press Standard Organization (Ipso) received in all of last year, the PA news agency reported. The criticized article is a guest post by British moderator Jeremy Clarkson about Meghan Markle.
The former Top Gear-Host expresses his dislike of the Duchess more than clearly in the text – “I hate Meghan,” he writes. Clarkson also alludes to a scene from the fantasy series game of Thrones in which Lena Headey as Cersei is herded through the city streets and thrown at with feces while the throwers chant “shame”. He dreams of Prince Harry’s wife Meghan Markle going through a similar scene.
More than 60 MPs are demanding consequences for Clarkson
The article not only caused the highest number of complaints about a single text, but also caused horror in politics. More than 60 MPs across party lines demanded an apology from editor-in-chief Victoria Newton and consequences for the moderator. London Mayor Sadiq Khan also criticized Clarkson.
The presenter’s daughter, Emily Clarkson, also distanced herself from her father’s text on social media. “My views are and always have been clear when it comes to misogyny, bullying and the treatment of women in the media,” he said Variety her statement from Sunday. The author and podcaster had previously criticized the negative press about Meghan Markle. She found the rhetoric regarding the Duchess appalling.
The royal family has not yet made a statement about the scandal. In the Netflix docuseries Harry & Megan the couple talks about leaving the British royal court. The docuseries prompted Clarkson’s hateful contribution, which has since been withdrawn at his request.
The moderator apologized on Twitter for the guest post. The 62-year-old wrote that he would be more careful in the future. Clarkson is known for provocative lyrics that have caused controversy in the past. He writes a weekly column for the tabloid the Sun. It is not yet clear whether the complaint record will have further consequences for the author and moderator. Clarkson moderates on Amazon Prime Top Gears follow-up broadcast The Grand Tour.