Jeremy Clarkson’s most controversial comments from Meghan Markle column to N-word apology-Sarah Robertson and Alicia Adejobi-Entertainment – Metro

Jeremy Clarkson is at the centre of another storm (Picture: PA)

Jeremy Clarkson is facing his biggest scandal to date after years of causing offence with his comments. 

The Grand Tour presenter has said he is ‘horrified’ after sparking great upset with his vitriolic column about Meghan Markle. 

In the piece, Clarkson, 62, said he had ‘dreams’ of the Duchess of Sussex having ‘excrement’ thrown at her as she walked the streets naked while crowds shouted ‘shame’ at her. 

It has led to a record number of complaints with the Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso) receiving over 17,000 complaints. 

Clarkson has also received a barrage of criticism from celebrities and even his own daughter Emily, who released a statement making it clear that she does not align with her father’s sentiments. 

As the backlash surrounding his comments about Meghan, here are just some of the other instances where Clarkson has been called out for his words and behaviour. 

Meghan Markle was subjected to vitriolic comments in Clarkson’s latest column (Picture: Netflix)

Top Gear punch 

In March 2015, Clarkson was fired from Top Gear after leaving a producer on the show with a bloodied lip, reportedly because he was served a cold platter rather than a hot dinner at Simonstone Hall Hotel. 

Following a legal battle, Clarkson was made to pay Oisin Tymon more than £100,000 in damages after the assistant producer made racial discrimination and person injury claims.

Clarkson was fired from Top Gear after punching a producer (Picture: GC Images)

Clarkson apologised to Tymon after the court case, saying: ‘I would like to say sorry, once again, to Oisin Tymon for the incident and its regrettable aftermath.

‘I want to reiterate that none of this was in any way his fault.

‘I would also like to make it clear that the abuse he has suffered since the incident is unwarranted and I am sorry too that he has had to go through that.’ 

Piers Morgan punch-up 

Piers Morgan made amends with Clarkson years after being punched by the presenter (Picture: Rex Features)

It’s long-been reported that in 2004 at The British Press Awards in London, Clarkson struck Morgan across the face, and left a scar due to a ring he was wearing.

At the time, Morgan was the editor of the Daily Mirror, and tensions were already running high after the paper had published a picture of Clarkson with a woman who wasn’t his wife. As well as this, on the last flight of Concorde in 2003, both parties had been present, and Clarkson allegedly threw a drink over Morgan in anger at what had happened.

Following the altercation, Morgan was reportedly bleeding profusely while Clarkson allegedly broke his finger.

Morgan stated in his Daily Mail column that the pair had made a truce after a five-hour drinking session in a pub back in the summer of 2014.

The N-word 

In unseen footage from series 19 of Top Gear, Clarkson was seen trying to choose between two cars while singing a racist children’s nursery rhyme which went: ‘Eeny, meeny, miny, moe…’ 

The presenter then mumbled: ‘Catch a n***** by his toe.’

During the edited version which was shown by the BBC in February 2013, he still repeated the counting rhyme but used the word ‘teacher’ instead of the offensive word.

After initially issuing a denial, Clarkson released an apology video in which he said he’d ‘mumbled where the offensive word would normally occur’ during filming. However, upon rewatching the clip, realised that ‘it did appear that I had actually used the word I was trying to obscure’. 

‘Please be assured, I did everything in my power to not use that word,’ he added. 

The One Show complaints

In 2011, Clarkson sparked outrage when he said striking public sector workers should be ‘shot’. 

He told presenters Alex Jones and Matt Baker at the time: ‘I think they have been fantastic. 

Clarkson, here on The Jonathan Ross Show in 2021, sparked 31,000 Ofcom complaints with his comments about public sector workers (Picture: Rex Features)

Absolutely. London today has just been empty. Everybody stayed at home, you can whizz about, restaurants are empty.

‘We have to balance this though, because this is the BBC. Frankly, I’d have them all shot. I would take them outside and execute them in front of their families.’

He added: ‘I mean how dare they go on strike when they have got these guilt-edged pensions that are going to be guaranteed while the rest of us have to work for a living.’

Clarkson’s remarks attracted 31,000 complaints with Ofcom and, while he later apologised, the BBC was forced to defend its decision not to sack Clarkson after widespread calls for his dismissal.

Thai ‘slope’ remark

Jeremy provoked controversy in 2014, when he used the racist word ‘slope’ just as an Asian man is seen walking onto a bridge. 

Talking to Richard Hammond about the bridge they have just finished building over the River Kwai in Thailand, he said: ‘That is a proud moment – but there’s a slope on it,’ just as the man walked into the shot. 

Clarkson currently hosts The Grand Tour alongside Richard Hammond and James May (Picture: Getty Images)

The use of the word sparked complaints and the threat of legal action from Equal Justice.

Reacting to the backlash, the show’s executive producer Andy Wilman said it was a ‘joke referencing both the build quality of the bridge and the local Asian man who was crossing it’. 

‘[We] regret any offence caused,’ he said. 

Special needs comment 

In August 2010, the presenter faced a backlash from the National Autistic Society after he made a rude remark about people with ‘special needs’.

Judging two Ferraris on the show, Clarkson described the older car as a ‘simpleton’ and said it should be renamed the ‘430 Speciale needs’ instead of the 430 Special. 

The BBC apologised for any offence caused and removed the comment from its iPlayer service. 

Didier Dogba dog name upset

Clarkson named his dog after footballer Didier Drogba (Picture: Getty Images)

In April 2014, Clarkson was accused of ‘casual racism’ when he named his new black pet dog ‘Didier Dogba’ after the former Chelsea footballer. 

A Twitter follower wrote: ‘@jeremyclarkson its racist man! Casual racism! You should be ashamed of yourself.’ 

‘One-eyed idiot’ scandal

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown found himself on the receiving end of a barbed Clarkson attack in 2009. 

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown found himself in Clarkson’s firing line (Picture: PA)

Comparing the former PM to Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd, Clarkson said: ‘It’s the first time I’ve ever seen a world leader [Rudd] admit we really are in deep s**t… We have this one-eyed Scottish idiot who keeps telling us everything’s fine and he’s saved the world and we know he’s lying, but he’s smooth at telling us.’ 

Later apologising in a statement, Clarkson said: ‘In the heat of the moment I made a remark about the prime minister’s personal appearance for which, upon reflection, I apologise.’

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