British-based media outlet The Sun newspaper has expressed regrets about the publication of a provocative and offensive column by media personality Jeremy Clarkson about the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle.

 Sky News reports that in the publication on Sunday, Clarkson said he was “dreaming of the day when she is made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while crowds chant, ‘Shame!’ and throw lumps of excrement at her”.

The remarks sparked a widescale backlash, with Clarkson’s own daughter Emily along with many others, speaking out against him.

It’s understood that the column became the most complained about ever, with the Independent Press Standards Organisation in the UK said to have received more than 20,800 complaints as of the close of business on Tuesday.

The article is said to have since been removed from The Sun’s website at Clarkson’s request.

In a statement, the newspaper issued an apology for the “hurt” and distress the publication of the column had caused the actress:

The Full Apology

“In last Saturday’s Sun, Jeremy Clarkson wrote a comment article about the Duchess of Sussex.

“It provoked a strong response and led to a large number of complaints to IPSO, the independent press regulator.

“In a tweet earlier this week, Jeremy said he had made a ‘clumsy reference to a scene in Game of Thrones’, which had ‘gone down badly with a great many people’ and he was ‘horrified to have caused so much hurt’.

“He also said he will be more careful in future.

“Columnists’ opinions are their own, but as a publisher, we realise that with free expression comes responsibility.

“We at The Sun regret the publication of this article and we are sincerely sorry.

“The article has been removed from our website and archives.

“The Sun has a proud history of campaigning, from Help for Heroes to Jabs Army and Who Cares Wins, and over 50 years of working in partnership with charities, our campaigns have helped change Britain for the better.

“Working with our readers, The Sun has helped to bring about new legislation on domestic abuse, provided beds in refuges, closed harmful loopholes in the law and empowered survivors of abuse to come forward and seek help.

“We will continue to campaign for good causes on behalf of our readers in 2023.”

The letter put forward by Conservative MP Caroline Nokes demanded that the publication take action against Clarkson.

It said the former Top Gear presenter’s “hateful” article about Meghan Markle had contributed to an “unacceptable climate of hatred and violence”.