Nicola Sturgeon brands Jeremy Clarkson's Meghan Markle comments 'deeply misogynist' and 'horrible'

19 December 2022, 11:49 | Updated: 19 December 2022, 11:52

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has slammed comments by Jeremy Clarkson about 'hating' Meghan Markle and dreaming of her having excrement thrown at her as misogynistic and 'awful'.

"I think his comments about Meghan Markle are beyond the pale," she said.

"I accept I'm a politician, people get to say all sorts of things about me, and that's part of the democratic process.

"But there is a thing here about everybody, as they exercise their freedom of speech, whoever you are and whatever your views are, doing that with a sense of responsibility, because words have consequences, and I think everybody in modern society has to be very aware of that."

Mr Clarkson also took aim at the SNP leader in the newspaper column for The Sun published last week, in which he said he hated the royal “not like I hate Nicola Sturgeon or Rose West”, but on a “cellular level”.

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The former Top Gear presenter also wrote that he dreamed of the day when Ms Markle "is made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while the crowds chant, “Shame!” and throw lumps of excrement at her’.

Ms Sturgeon said the broadcaster's comments about the Duchess of Sussex were "deeply misogynist and just downright awful and horrible".

She added: "I have to say, taking a step back from it, my overwhelming emotion about guys like Jeremy Clarkson is pity.

"I mean, what is it that makes somebody so distorted by hate that they end up writing these things?

"And I think that possibly gives an insight into Jeremy Clarkson and the kind of person he is, so maybe he just needs to take a step back from things and just think about life a bit more."

Mr Clarkson's podcaster daughter Emily condemned her father's comments, posting on Instagram Stories yesterday that her "views are and have always been clear when it comes to misogyny, bullying and the treatment of women by the media.

She added: “I want to make it very clear that I stand against everything that my dad wrote about Meghan Markle and I remain standing in support of those that are targeted with online hatred.”

She previously criticised Mail Online for its coverage of Ms Markle, saying: “This publication, and many like it, are hellbent on DESTROYING this woman,” and called the press' treatment of her “inhumane”.

Other notable figures took to Twitter to denounce the remarks from Carol Vorderman to author Phillip Pullman.

Comedian John Bishop Bishop said the comments were a “blatant appeal to incite humiliation and violence on a woman”.

Adding: “Some have excused it as dark humour. There is no joke here Jeremy Clarkson, and no excuse.”

Philip Pullman tweeted: “That Jeremy Clarkson can write things like that, and publish them unashamed, tells us all we need to know about the way Rupert Murdoch has poisoned and rotted our public life.”

And former Countdown star Carol Vorderman commented: “NO Jeremy Clarkson. Not on any level, in any circumstance, is it OK to write this stuff about any woman and absolutely NO to ‘everyone who’s my age thinks the same’.”

The second half of Harry and Meghan's docuseries dropped on Netflix last week, in which Harry addresses his wife's mental health struggles as she faced a torrent of abuse from the public and the media.