Who Wants to Be a Millionaire will no longer be presented by Jeremy Clarkson after one final season.
ITV boss Carolyn McCall confirmed the decision to end Clarkson’s time as host, revealing that the forthcoming season of the popular quiz show, which is now currently in production, will be Clarkson’s final series.
“We have a contract. We’re contracted to this [season], so we will do that,” said McCall. “And then we have no future commitments.”
McCall confirmed the news in an interview with Variety as she was being honoured as the publication’sInternational Media Woman of the Year and discussed the broadcaster’s “quick response” to Clarkson’s column.
She said: “There was no dissent internally. We came out much quicker than anybody else, Amazon included.
“We just came out said, ‘Yes, we do not endorse a single word that he said on that. And there’s no place for that on ITV.’
“So we came out very quickly and just said, you know, that wasn’t on ITV. But we don’t endorse that in any way. And there’s no place for that on ITV.”
In recent months, Clarkson has been at the centre of huge controversy after he wrote a column for the Sun in which he said he dreamed of Meghan Markle being made to parade naked while crowds throw excrement at her and shout “Shame.”
A record 25,000 people complained about the column, which was eventually taken down.
Clarkson has since apologised and said he had contacted Markle and her husband Prince Harry to say sorry.
Earlier this month, the press watchdog, IPSO, confirmed it had launched an investigation into the column.
Following the fallout, there were reports that at least three female stars had refused to appear on a Who Wants To Be A Millionaire celebrity special in protest against Clarkson’s comments, and there had been much uncertainty about whether ITV would keep him on as host.