IPSO has upheld Fawcett Society’s complaint about Jeremy Clarkson’s 'sexist' column in The Sun in a landmark decision. The charity group, which campaigns for gender equality and women’s right, made a complaint about his column regarding Meghan Markle, which was published in December 2022.
In it, the TV personality said that he "hated" the Duchess of Sussex, and wrote that he was "dreaming of the day when she is made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while crowds chant, 'Shame!' and throw lumps of excrement at her".
The column received over 25,000 complaints, and this marks the first time IPSO has ever upheld a complaint on the basis of sexism. Speaking about the situation, the chief executive of the Fawcett Society, Jemima Olchawski, said: "The Fawcett Society and WILDE Foundation have made history with our complaints against The Sun for its publication of Jeremy Clarkson’s vile and offensive column about the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle. All women are harmed if any woman is the target of sexist reporting and media misogyny is not acceptable.
"Since it was established in 2014 IPSO has never upheld a complaint about sexism – and that changes today. This landmark decision is a real opportunity for our media to catch up with what women have known for years – misogyny and hate are not acceptable and they can no longer be dressed up as satire or banter."
She continued: "Misogyny that normalises violence and coverage that blames women who experience violence have no place in our media, or anywhere in our society. Today’s decision will help to elevate the state of public discourse about women and tackle misogyny in our media." She added that they were "extremely proud" to have stood alongside others who were "horrified" by the article.
The WILDE Foundation’s trustees added: "As the Trustees of WILDE, we are heartened by the IPSO’s decision to recognise the harm caused by Jeremy Clarkson’s abusive comments towards the Duchess of Sussex, and their acknowledgement of our concerns. This ruling validates our commitment to creating a safe and inclusive space for women of colour and acknowledges the significance of our collective voices."
© Photo: Getty ImagesJeremy has since apologised for the column, writing: "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… 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."
He continued: "I was mortified and so was everyone else. My phone went mad. Very close friends were furious. Even my own daughter took to Instagram to denounce me. I therefore wrote to everyone who works with me saying how sorry I was and then on Christmas morning, I emailed Harry and Meghan in California to apologise to them too. I said I was baffled by what they had been saying on TV but that the language I’d used in my column was disgraceful and that I was profoundly sorry."
Harry and Meghan’s representative responded to the apology, saying: "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."
