Jeremy Clarkson calls Meghan Markle ‘silly little cable TV actress’ in defence of Piers Morgan

Jeremy Clarkson has weighed in on the debate around Meghan Markle’s interview with Oprah Winfrey and Piers Morgan’s subsequent departure from Good Morning Britain.

Following the interview, Morgan suggested that he thought Markle was lying about experiencing suicidal thoughts during her time as a senior royal. After being challenged by his GMB co-star Alex Beresford and storming off set, Morgan then quit the ITV show.

His comments prompted a record number of complaints to broadcast watchdog Ofcom (more than 57,000).

In her interview with Winfrey, Markle had also claimed that a member of the royal family relayed concerns regarding “how dark” the skin of their son Archie would be when he was born.

Writing in his column forThe Sun, Clarkson said Markle is “much revered by the young and the stupid who believe that her brand of simpering victimhood will one day bring down the monarchy, but it won’t”.

He argued that given everything the British monarchy has been through – “beheadings, affairs, abdications” – he is “fairly sure it’ll be able to weather the banal musings of a silly little cable TV actress”.

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He added: “Trust me on this one. Markle’s toast, and within five years, I suspect she’ll be posing for photographs, on her own outside the Taj Mahal or sitting on the back of a playboy’s yacht in the Med, and poor old Piers will realise that he lost his job over absolutely nothing at all.”

Clarkson’s support of Morgan is unusual. The pair have not always been friendly, having had an infamous punch-up at the 2004 British Press Awards.

Reports at the time claimed an inebriated Clarkson “ambled over to The Mirror’s table […] and attacked, swinging a right hook at Morgan”.

“It was actually three punches,” Morgan later said. “He permanently scarred me above my temple because he had a ring on, but the good news was he broke his little finger hitting my head because I’m that hard.”

If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.