Jeremy Clarkson has finally addressed the comments he made about Meghan Markle that led to him being slammed for ‘inciting humiliation and violence’.
The presenter wrote that he hates the Duchess of Sussex ‘on a cellular level’ in a horrific rant in his column in The Sun.
He added that he hoped Meghan would be made to ‘parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while the crowds chant, ‘Shame!’ and throw lumps of excrement at her’.
Clarkson faced the wrath of dozens of other celebrities who have labelled his comments ‘utterly vile and disgusting’.
And he has finally addressed the things that he wrote about Meghan.
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He said today: “Oh dear. I’ve rather put my foot in it. In a column I wrote about Meghan, I made a clumsy reference to a scene in Game of Thrones and this has gone down badly with a great many people.
“I’m horrified to have caused so much hurt and I shall be more careful in future.”
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Even his own daughter, author Emily Clarkson, had spoken out against her dad.
Emily, who presents the Should I Delete That podcast, wrote on Instagram: “My views are and have always been clear when it comes to misogyny, bullying and the treatment of women by the media.
Clarkson made the vile comments about Meghan Markle in his column. Credit: Netflix
“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.”
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Clarkson’s column about Meghan also claimed that ‘everyone who’s my age thinks the same’ – a claim that’s been heartily rebutted by presenter Carol Vorderman.
She wrote: “NO Jeremy Clarkson. Not on any level, in any circumstance, is it ok to write this stuff about any woman & absolutely NO to ‘everyone who’s my age thinks the same. No no no. We absolutely do NOT think the same. Listen to the noise Jeremy. The crowds are chanting ‘shame on YOU’.”
NO Jeremy Clarkson. Not on any level, in any circumstance, is it ok to write this stuff about any woman & absolutely NO to "everyone who's my age thinks the same" No no no. We absolutely do NOT think the same. Listen to the noise Jeremy. The crowds are chanting "shame on YOU" pic.twitter.com/OzCt9lHG16
Comedian John Bishop said: “WTF is this ?? I don’t care who you are or who you work for you simply can not write things like this. It is a blatant appeal to incite humiliation and violence on a woman. Some have excused it as dark humour. There is mo joke here @JeremyClarkson and no excuse.”
TV doctor Dr Ranj Singh tweeted: “The worst part of what #JeremyClarkson wrote, isn’t what he actually said… It’s the fact that he exists in a space where he feels it’s permissible to say those vile things – and someone thought it was OK to publish it. THIS NEEDS TO CHANGE.”
Comedian Dom Joly said: “Literally gobsmacked at the utterly vile and disgusting comments written about Meghan Markle by Jeremy Clarkson in the Sun. What an utter piece of trash he is…what is it with these type of men that triggers them so?”
Pregnant Then Screwed author Joeli Brearley wrote: “This is sexualised violence. Despising a woman you have never met & being kept awake by an urge to humiliate & attack her in a deeply sexualised manner is deranged. @JeremyClarkson should be arrested. @TheSun should be ashamed. I’ve complained to IPSO & so should you.”
The Queen Consort Camilla is now facing criticism too for her silence, after it emerged that she had hosted a star-studded dinner last week, with guests including Meghan’s most vocal critics, Jeremy Clarkson and Piers Morgan.
Musician V V Brown wrote: “Queen consort Camilla just hosted a dinner for dosmetic abuse charities and then has dinner with a man who says the below @JeremyClarkson…As a person who has suffered sexual violence I am traumatised and feel sick by this. What the flying fuck!”
Featured image: Wikimedia Commons
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Manchester’s Cat Cafe issues lengthy response to anti-industry statement
Danny Jones
Manchester’s soon-to-return Cat Cafe has shared a lengthy statement responding to the recent suggestion made by leading animal charities that their particular line of business should become a thing of the past.
Cat Cafe Manchester (CCM) closed its city centre premises back in January 2021 like so many others suffering from the post-pandemic struggle, but there are still several other feline-focused coffee shops and similar set-ups located up and down the country.
With that in mind and after the Manchester location announced a comeback later this year – in a prime location on Deansgate, no less – the discussion surrounding the niche industry has turned to issues regarding animal rights, welfare and overall quality of life.
However, rather than simply firing back at the likes of the RSPCA and Cats Protection over their concerns and belief that these venues should be “phased out”, the company has come out to agree with their overarching point whilst still assuring that their sites “are different”.
As you can see in an extensive reply, the brand begins by writing: “We are in strong agreement that there needs to be more regulation in the industry, as we believe many cafes are operating in manners that are harmful to cats.”
They detail how they don’t support ventures that operate by simply piggybacking on vital animal rescue procedures, citing that around 90% of the UK’s cat cafes simply ship prospective pets in and out, creating a stressful environment for its furry residents.
In contrast, Cat Cafe MCR go on to insist that “cats in our cafes are pedigree, as they are best suited to an indoor-only environment [as opposed to rescues who often benefit from outdoor time], and they are bred for temperament, meaning our cats need a lot of attention from people, and also enjoy the company of other cats.
“Our cafes have windows for natural light and there is plenty of space off the cafe floor for cats to get away from customers. They are provided with enough resources spread out throughout a very large building to reduce any competitive behaviour. Our cats are never ever kept in cages – as is the case in some Cat Cafes.”
CCM also explained how the behaviour of their in-house cats is analysed weekly, adding that “if we feel any cat in our cafe is not happy and is showing signs of stress, we would immediately remove them from the environment.”
Besides the obvious soothing quality of the experience for regular customers, cafes like theirs and the canine equivalent CuppaPug in Salford are extremely helpful in providing animal-assisted therapy for people struggling with mental health conditions and those categorised as neurodiverse.
Cat Cafe drew their response to a close by inviting both of the charities in question to work with them in creating new guidelines and strict rules when it comes to animal welfare in these spaces.
They concluded by declaring that not only are they “incredibly difficult to run responsibly” when done properly but that “Cat Cafes are not all the same, and they should not be opened without serious thought and consideration for the cats’ welfare.”
We are still unclear as to when exactly Cat Cafe Manchester will reopen but all we know is that the team will be as dedicated to providing an enjoyable experience for both the animals and visitors when it does.
Sir Gareth Southgate says young men ‘need better role models’ – and more of them
Danny Jones
Ex-footballer and England manager Sir Gareth Southgate has called on contemporary society to do better when it comes to young men, insisting that boys today need real role models.
In fact, not to put words in his mouth, but he isn’t just calling out for more of them; more precisely, he believes they need better ones than some of the figures who have found a following in recent years.
Speaking in one of his first public addresses since being knighted in the 2025 New Year’s Honours list and one of a scarce few since stepping down as the Three Lions boss, Southgate gave a lengthy speech as part of the BBC’s annual ‘Richard Dimbleby Lecture’.
The former Crystal Palace, Middlesborough and Aston Villa defender touched on a number of topics in his discussion, including the troubling rise of “callous, manipulative and toxic influencers, whose sole drive is for their own gain” and are finding increasing popularity on social media.
Southgate has strong opinions on the current archetype of ‘role models’ that young men are gravitating towards.
Southgate went on to express the crucial nature of “identity, connection and culture” in contemporary society, insisting that current values are drifting off course.
He went on to state that because of the swirling questions surrounding masculinity, “young men end up withdrawing, reluctant to talk or express their emotions […] They spend more time online searching for direction and are falling into unhealthy alternatives like gaming, gambling and pornography.”
Southgate also believes that “if we make life too easy for young boys now, we will inevitably make life harder when they grow up to be young men”, arguing that we are at risk of creating a culture where they fear failure so much that “they fail to try, rather than try and fail.”
Drawing from his own experience as a player and his famous penalty miss in Euro ’96, as well as his multiple attempts at winning a major tournament as the national team coach, he reflected on how these experiences made him who he is today – experiences he navigated through thanks to role models.
Put more simply, he suggested that we need to return focus to the importance of teachers, sports coaches, youth groups and ‘proper’/traditional role models, rather than simply allowing the next generation of young men to resort to poor examples online.
"We have to show young men that character is more important than status."
Gareth Southgate demands leaders step up to become positive role models for 'isolated' young men. pic.twitter.com/FMlnqjppQi
The timing of Southgate’s speech hasn’t been lost on large swathes of the British public, in particular, in light of the hit Netflix drama, Adolescence.
Revolving around the story of a young boy accused of a violent crime towards a young girl, the four-part series touches on incel culture, the growing ‘manosphere’ digital community, controversial figures like Andrew Tate and more.
You can listen to Southgate’s lecture on young men and the importance of role models in full HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
19th December 2022 
