Jeremy Clarkson slammed for saying Greta Thunberg 'deserves a smacked bottom'

The TV host described climate activist Greta Thunberg as an "annoying little bucket of ego". Photo / Getty Images

Former Top Gear star Jeremy Clarkson has been slammed for saying 18-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg needs a "smacked bottom".

Clarkson, 61, made the comment in a column written for the Sunday Times amid the COP26 climate conference, describing Thunberg as an "annoying little bucket of ego".

"I simply don't get the Thunberg phenomenon. She has no knowledge of how the world works, no manners and no letters after her name because instead of going to school, she's been busy sailing round the world so she can be mardy and abusive to grown-ups," he wrote.

"What she needs is a smacked bottom."

But his words didn't go down so well with readers, as many took to social media to share their outrage.

One wrote, "That Jeremy Clarkson thought it was ok to write that Greta Thunberg needs 'a smacked bottom' … I simply cannot fathom. What year have I time-travelled back to exactly?"

Another commented, "Jeremy Clarkson said Greta Thunberg 'needs a smacked bottom'. Real normal s***."

Others added that it was "weird" for an older white man to use column space to target a young girl concerned about the environment.

"It's a shame he added that bit in, because it's actually a very poignant article which is now spoiled by him needing to sound like his character," one observed.

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Another asked, "What is about Greta Thunberg that makes all old guys get angry and defensive? Brilliant to see so many young people in Glasgow caring about this planet."

The TV host went on to brand Thunberg a "pest" and a "Swedish doom goblin".

He claimed that telling people what to do to lessen their impact on the environment was "pointless" and that Thunberg should instead go to countries where people are less aware of climate issues.

"What you should be doing instead is cycling to countries where people are perhaps less well aware of what should be done," he wrote.

"China for example. That I'd like to see. Greta standing outside Zhongnanhai with her parka and her Glastonbury backpack and her microphone, lecturing the leaders about their policies on coal and trees and so on."