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Jeremy Clarkson’s daughter, podcast host Emily Clarkson, has spoken out against her father’s recent comments about the Duchess of Sussex.
In a newspaper column this week, Clarkson wrote that she despises the duchess “on a cellular level” and dreams of people throwing “excrement” at her in the street.
He also said he hated Markle, “not like I hate Nicola Sturgeon or Rose West”, but on a “cellular level”.
Clarkson’s comments, published in The Sun on Friday 16 December in response to Harry and Meghan’s Netflix documentary, were widely condemned as “vile and disgusting”.
Posting to her Instagram Stories on Sunday, December 18, Emily, 28, wrote: ‘My views are and have always been clear when it comes to misogyny, bullying and the treatment of women by the media.
“I want to make it very clear that I am against everything my father wrote about Meghan Markle and I continue to support those who are the target of hate online.”
Earlier this week, Emily condemned the Mail Online for its coverage of the Duchess, saying: “This publication, and many like it, are determined to DESTROY this woman.”
Emily Clarkson distances herself from her father’s comments
(Instagram)
He described the press’ treatment of Meghan as “inhumane” and said both the Duchess and Prince Harry have been “treated in a disgusting manner”.
Emily, the daughter of Jeremy and his ex-wife Frances Cain, wrote: “This is harassment on a grand scale.”
A number of prominent figures have expressed their horror at Jeremy Clarkson’s rant about Meghan, from John Bishop to Carol Vorderman.
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Bishop tweeted that the remarks were a “blatant call to incite humiliation and violence against a woman”.
He added: “Some have excused it as black humour. No joke here, Jeremy Clarkson, no excuse.
Vorderman’s Twitter comment began: “NOT Jeremy Clarkson. It’s not okay on any level, under any circumstances, to write these things about any woman and absolutely NOT to ‘everyone my age thinks the same.’
His Dark Materials author Philip Pullman tweeted: “That Jeremy Clarkson can write stuff like this and publish it without shame tells us all we need to know about the way Rupert Murdoch has poisoned and rotted our public life “.
Actor and comedian Kathy Burke branded the former Top Gear presenter a “colossal ***” for his comments.
The second batch of episodes of the Duke and Duchess’ documentary hit Netflix on Thursday, December 15, with the couple talking about everything from arguments with Prince William to Meghan’s miscarriage.
Harry also opened up about Meghan’s struggles with mental health, amid a deluge of vitriol and abuse from the media and public.
Read the biggest talking points here and The Independent’s review here.