Jeremy Clarkson, the TV personality and host of The Grand Tour, has reportedly parted ways with Amazon Prime Video following his controversial column on Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex.
According to Variety, the streaming service will not be working with Clarkson beyond the seasons of The Grand Tour and Clarkson’s Farm that have already been commissioned.
This means that the Top Gear star will not be appearing in any new shows on Prime Video beyond 2024.
The controversy began last month, when Clarkson stated that he ‘hated’ the Duchess of Sussex on a ‘cellular level’ and dreamed about her being paraded through the streets and shamed.
The comments led to a strong backlash, with many calling for Clarkson to be sacked and charged with a hate crime. More than 60 MPs also demanded action to be taken.
The host has since issued a lengthy apology to Markle and her husband, Prince Harry.
He wrote via Instagram, ‘The Sun quickly apologised and I tried to explain myself. But still, there were calls for me to be sacked and charged with a hate crime.’ He added, ‘ITV, who make Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and Amazon, who make the Farm Show and the Grand Tour, were incandescent.’
In addition to the apology, Clarkson revealed that he also sent an email to Harry and Meghan on Christmas morning to apologise for his comments. He wrote, ‘I said I was baffled by what they had been saying on TV but that the language I’d used in my column was disgraceful and that I was profoundly sorry.’
Prince Harry, who was promoting his new memoir, Spare, during the time, slammed Clarkson’s comments in an interview with Tom Bradby.
He said, ‘When we’re talking about accountability, just recently, which I know you know about, the Jeremy Clarkson article… So not only was what he said horrific and hurtful and cruel towards my wife, but it also encourages other people around the UK and around the world, men particularly, to go and think that it’s acceptable to treat women that way.’
The Sun newspaper, which published the column, later issued an apology and said it was ‘sincerely sorry’ for the publication of Clarkson’s article.
While it remains to be seen what the future holds for Clarkson, it is clear that his comments on Meghan Markle have had significant consequences for his career.
Fans of The Grand Tour and Clarkson’s Farm will have to wait and see how the situation develops, but it seems that the host’s time with Amazon Prime Video has come to an end.
