Jeremy Clarkson has not been cancelled as the host of television quiz show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, according to ITV.
The channel also insisted that the hit programme had not been axed and it was contractually committed to another series which has already been recorded.
There had been reports that Clarkson’s future as the show’s presenter was in jeopardy following his controversial newspaper column about the Duchess of Sussex.
But these were refuted by ITV, and by Clarkson himself on social media who insisted he had “not been sacked”.
Jeremy Clarkson was criticised over an article he wrote about the Duchess of Sussex. Pic: AP
An ITV spokesperson said: “As we have said for several weeks, ITV is contractually committed to a further series of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? (which has now been recorded).
“There are no further commissioning commitments beyond that currently as is typical with such shows where we make commissioning decisions on a series-by-series basis.
“Therefore for the avoidance of doubt neither Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? nor Jeremy Clarkson have been cancelled.”
Clarkson, 62, tweeted: “So many kind messages about today’s reports. But relax… I have not been sacked as host of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.”
Clarkson’s career was under the spotlight after he wrote an article in The Sun newspaper about Meghan, which became the most complained about piece to the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO).
The media regulator has launched an investigation after it received more than 25,100 complaints.
In the controversial piece published last December, Clarkson said he “hated” the duchess.
He said he was “dreaming of the day when [Meghan] 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 TV presenter later apologised, describing his language as “disgraceful” and said he was “profoundly sorry”.
The Sun also apologised and said it regretted the publication of the column, which was removed online.
Prince Harry and Meghan dismissed the apology by the former Top Gear star and did not believe the article was a careless, isolated incident.
Read more:
Press watchdog launches investigation into Clarkson’s article
Harry and Meghan accuse TV presenter of spreading ‘hate rhetoric’
The presenter’s comments sparked a huge backlash, with Clarkson’s daughter Emily, as well as many others, speaking out against him.
Clarkson co-hosts Amazon Prime TV series The Grand Tour, and documentary series Clarkson’s Farm follows his efforts to run an Oxfordshire farm he bought in 2008.
He took over from Chris Tarrant as the presenter of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? in 2018.