The future television career of controversial broadcaster Jeremy Clarkson appears in doubt as the fallout continues following his controversial comments about Meghan Markle.
Variety is reporting his employer Amazon Prime Video has made the decision not to renew any further collaborations with Jeremy Clarkson beyond the already commissioned seasons of The Grand Tour and Clarkson’s Farm.
This means that the former Top Gear presenter will not be appearing in any new shows on Prime Video beyond 2024.
Prime Video has several shows in the works with Clarkson that will continue as planned, but the decision effectively means that Clarkson’s Farm will end with its third season in 2024.
The popular motoring format The Grand Tour will also come to an end after four more special episodes, the last of which is expected to air in late 2024 or early 2025.
At the same time Deadline is reporting UK broadcaster ITV is also giving serious consideration to not renewing its current contract with the presenter. Clarkson presents a high rating version of quiz show format Who Want’s To Be A Millionaire for the network.
When contacted for comment by Variety, Prime Video declined to address the matter. Deadline is reporting production company Expectation, which produces both shows, were somewhat bemused by the reports that Clarkson had been cancelled.
In a statement made by Clarkson on Monday, he acknowledged that Amazon Prime Video was “incandescent” about his tirade against Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.
In a lengthy apology posted to his official Instagram, Clarkson stated,
“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.”
“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,” wrote Clarkson. “So when I’d finished, I just pressed send. And then, when the column appeared the next day, the land mine exploded.
“It was a slow rumble to start with and I ignored it. But then the rumble got louder. So I picked up a copy of The Sun to see what all the fuss was about.
“We’ve all been there, I guess. In that precise moment when we suddenly realise we’ve completely messed up. You are sweaty and cold at the same time.
“And your head pounds. And you feel sick. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. Had I really said that? It was horrible.”
The apology comes a day before the planned press conference for the second season of Clarkson’s Farm which is set to launch on February 10.
A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex issued a statement regarding the matter in response to the latest apology.
“On Dec. 25, 2022, Mr. Clarkson wrote solely to Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex.
The contents of his correspondence were marked Private and Confidential. While a new public apology has been issued today by Mr. Clarkson, what remains to be addressed is his long-standing 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.”
Clarkson made controversial comments about Meghan Markle in a December column for The Sun.
He wrote that he hates with hate for her and referenced a scene from Game of Thrones in which he suggested she be paraded naked through the streets of Britain while people throw faeces at her.
His comments drew widespread condemnation and over 21,000 complaints to the Independent Press Standards Organisation.
Source: Variety
Yes!
No!
No!
No!
should JEREMY CLARKSON have CONSEQUENCES for his SEXIST comments about MEGHAN MARKLE? yes.