Jeremy Clarkson has said he was "horrified to have caused so much hurt" after receiving backlash following comments made about Meghan Markle in a column for The Sun.

The TV presenter, 62, tweeted to say he had rather put his "foot in it" due to some of the comments and that he would be "more careful in future".

In the column, which was published on Friday (December 16) Clarkson said that he hated the Duchess of Sussex "on a cellular level".

He added: "At night, I'm unable to sleep as I lie there, grinding my teeth and dreaming of the day when she is made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while the crowds chant 'Shame!' and throw lumps of excrement at her."

Clarkson’s article followed the recent broadcast of Harry and Meghan’s explosive six-part Netflix documentary, in which the couple made allegations of mistreatment by the royal family.

READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson sparks outrage over Meghan Markle comments

The comments in the article caused a lot of backlash online, with the likes of Nicola Sturgeon, John Bishop, Carol Vorderman and even Clarkson's own daughter Emily criticising it.

In a tweet posted today (Monday, December 19) Clarkson apologised for the comments.

He wrote: "Oh dear. I’ve rather put my foot in it. In a column I wrote about Meghan, I made a clumsy reference to a scene in Game of Thrones and this has gone down badly with a great many people. I’m horrified to have caused so much hurt and I shall be more careful in future."

A spokesperson for Ipso told the PA news agency that the regulator had received over 6,000 complaints about Clarkson’s article as of midday on Monday, and that the number was subject to change.

He added that the complaints were being assessed in accordance with its standard procedure.

Jeremy Clarkson comments come amid release of Harry and Meghan Netflix documentary

Clarkson's comments came in response to the new Netflix documentary on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan. 

The limited series documented the couple's story from when they first met, their marriage and their eventual departure from the Royal Family. 

In the series, the couple shared their thoughts on how the media impacted their relationship with the public, as Meghan said: "You are making people want to kill me.

She added: "It’s not just a tabloid, it’s not just some story, you are making me scared… And you’ve created it for what? Because you’re bored or because it sells your papers or it makes you feel better about your own life?"