Jeremy Clarkson’s Meghan Markle column ruled ‘degrading’ as charity celebrates ‘landmark’ ruling

A charity has welcomed a “landmark” ruling on Jeremy Clarkson’s “degrading” column about Meghan Markle.

The Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) has found that the column, which called for the Duchess of Sussex to be publicly flogged while naked, was sexist. It marks the first time the press regulator has upheld a complaint about sexism.

Jemima Olchawski, chief executive of the Fawcett Society, the UK’s leading gender equality charity, said her organisation and the WILDE Foundation “have made history” with their complaints against The Sun for publishing Clarkson’s “vile and offensive” article.

“All women are harmed if any woman is the target of sexist reporting and media misogyny is not acceptable,” she said. “Since it was established in 2014 IPSO has never upheld a complaint about sexism – and that changes today.

“This landmark decision is a real opportunity for our media to catch up with what women have known for years – misogyny and hate are not acceptable and they can no longer be dressed up as satire or banter.”

Ms Olchawski warned misogyny “normalises violence” as she argued “coverage that blames women who experience violence have no place in our media, or anywhere in our society”.

“Today’s decision will help to elevate the state of public discourse about women and tackle misogyny in our media,” she continued. “Editors must take note and ensure their processes are fit for purpose in the twenty-first century.

“There must be a thorough and transparent investigation into how on earth these toxic comments made it onto the pages of one of our biggest newspapers.”

The watchdog received more than 25,100 complaints in the wake of The Sun’s publication of Clarkson’s column about the Duchess of Sussex in December last year. It is IPSO’s most complained-about article in history.

IPSO reached the conclusion the column included a pejorative and prejudicial reference to Meghan’s sex which infringed on the Editors’ Code of Practice.

The watchdog has ordered The Sun to release a summary of the findings against it which is penned by IPSO on the same page the column is generally featured on, which must be referred to on the newspaper’s printed front page as well as its website.

In the fiercely criticised piece, Clarkson stated he hated Meghan on a “cellular level” and he dreamt of the day she would be forced to parade naked through Britain while crowds chanted “shame” and hurled “excrement” at her.

Lord Faulks, IPSO’s chair, said: “We found that the imagery employed by the columnist in this article was humiliating and degrading toward the Duchess.”

In its ruling, the complaints committee stated: “IPSO found that the article included a number of references to the Duchess’ sex.

“Specifically: the writer’s claim that the Duchess exercised power via her sexual hold over her husband which, in the view of the committee, was a reference to stereotypes about women using their sexuality to gain power, and also implied that it was the Duchess’ sexuality – rather than any other attribute or accomplishment – which was the source of her power.”

Clarkson, who hosts The Grand Tour, eventually issued an apology saying the image of the duchess being publicly ridiculed was a reference to a scene from Game of Thrones.

The TV personality, who has made rude comments about Meghan on other occasions, referred to the language he used in the column as being “disgraceful”. The Sun also issued an apology, saying it regretted publishing the piece and taking it down from its website.

Harriet Harman, Labour MP and Fawcett Society’s incoming chair, said: “Women are no longer prepared to endure the sexism that generations of women have been subjected to.

“Fawcett will be vigilant about sexism in the media and challenge it wherever it appears. This is a big step forward for women in the battle against sexism in the media.”

The WILDE Foundation’s trustees added: “We firmly believe that words have the power to heal or harm, and it is essential to hold individuals accountable for their harmful rhetoric.”