More than 10,000 Jeremy Clarkson’s fans have signed a petition in favour of the star, urging ITV not to sack their favourite host over his controversial column about Meghan Markle.
In the online petition, favouring the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire host, claims that the negative reaction to Clarkson’s column ‘has been completely disproportionate’.
Clarkson’s punishment is ‘already completely disproportionate to the crime, adding being sacked by ITV would ‘compound his humiliation,’
Creators of the petition also asked Carolyn McCall, ITV’s CEO, ‘to bear in mind the price Jeremy Clarkson has already paid for his remarks’.
It comes after the TV host’s column in The Sun in which he said he ‘hated’ Meghan Markle – and added he dreamed of the duchess being paraded undressed through British towns.
It quickly became the Independent Press Standards Organisation’s (Ipso) most complained-about article after its publication, with many branding his comments ‘misogynistic’.
The Sun later apologised and said it regretted the publication of the column, which has surpassed more than 25,000 Ipso complaints. Even Clarkson’s own daughter made a public statement in which she condemned her father’s comments.