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Wow, Meg Shocked as ITV Refuses to Fire Jeremy Clarkson Despite Petition Gaining Over 30,000 Signatures
Jeremy Clarkson, the controversial TV personality, has managed to retain his position at ITV after a petition demanding his dismissal garnered more than 30,000 signatures.
The petition, which urged ITV not to drop Clarkson from the show “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire,” was signed by over 22,000 individuals.
This came in the wake of Clarkson's highly criticized column for The Sun, in which he expressed his deep dislike for Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex.
Clarkson's column, published in December, caused a massive uproar due to its offensive content.
In the article, he claimed to despise Markle on a cellular level, comparing her unfavorably to notorious murderer Rose West.
He even went as far as to express his desire to see Markle humiliated by being paraded n^ked through the streets of Britain while people showered her with excrement.
Unsurprisingly, this sparked immense backlash, with prominent figures like Carol Vorderman and John Bishop condemning Clarkson's words.
The column became the most complained about in history, leading The Sun to eventually remove it and issue an apology.
On January 15, Clarkson took to Instagram to issue a lengthy apology.
He revealed that he had sent an email to Markle and Prince Harry on Christmas Day, expressing regret for his disgraceful language in the column.
Clarkson admitted that he had written the piece hastily and without much thought.
Following this incident, rumors began circulating that Clarkson would be removed from his role as the host of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” on ITV.
In response, fans launched a petition on Change.org, titled “Don't Cancel Jeremy Clarkson,” addressed to ITV CEO Carolyn McCall.
The petition argued against firing Clarkson based on his controversial column, claiming that the negative reaction had been blown out of proportion.
It also highlighted Clarkson's request for the column to be taken down and his apology to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
The petition emphasized the importance of allowing people to make mistakes, apologize, and redeem themselves, rather than destroying their careers and ostracizing them from society.
Despite ITV distancing itself from Clarkson's comments earlier this month, the broadcaster has decided to retain him as the host of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.”
Meanwhile, reports suggest that Amazon, with whom Clarkson has collaborated on shows like “The Grand Tour” and “Clarkson's Farm,” will not continue working with him beyond the already commissioned seasons.
This means that Clarkson may not appear in any new shows on Prime Video after 2024.
During a recent Broadcast Press Guild event in London, Kevin Lygo, TV's media and entertainment boss, addressed Clarkson's future on “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.”
Lygo stated that he had no control over what Clarkson wrote in his newspaper columns and emphasized that they had hired him solely for his skills as a quiz show host.
When asked if ITV would keep Clarkson as a host, Lygo confirmed that they currently had no plans to replace him.
Interestingly, Clarkson expressed his dismay at the response to his column just a day before the announcement of his continued role on ITV.
In the controversial article, he had expressed his intense hatred for Meghan Markle and fantasized about her being publicly shamed, drawing comparisons to Cersei Lannister from “Game of Thrones.”
Additionally, he claimed that Prince William had physically attacked him in 2019, resulting in an accident involving a cracked dog bowl.
Furthermore, sources have suggested that if the Sussexes wanted to pursue a reality show project with Netflix, the streaming service would demand increased access and more exclusive content.
In conclusion, despite the massive backlash and the petition calling for his dismissal, Jeremy Clarkson has managed to retain his position as the host of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” on ITV.
The controversy surrounding his offensive column targeting Meghan Markle continues to divide opinions, with some arguing for forgiveness and redemption, while others believe that such behavior should not be tolerated.
As the story unfolds, it remains to be seen how Clarkson's future in the industry will be affected by these events.