Two of Britain's most prominent media personalities, Piers Morgan and Jeremy Clarkson, have a history defined by a single, explosive moment: a punch that left a scar and a broken finger. Over two decades later, Morgan is sharing fresh insights into the infamous 2004 altercation that has become the stuff of legend.
The Punch That Broke a Finger
The dramatic confrontation unfolded at the 2004 British Press Awards, where tensions between the pair finally boiled over. According to Morgan's new book, Woke Is Dead, the Clarkson’s Farm star, then 39, hit the former Good Morning Britain presenter, then 38, square in the face. The force of the blow was so great that Clarkson broke his own finger in the process.
The root of the conflict dates back to 2002, when Morgan was editor of the Daily Mirror. He published photographs of Jeremy Clarkson with a woman who was not his wife, despite the then-Top Gear host having allegedly asked him not to. This publication sowed the seeds of a bitter feud that would culminate in the physical altercation two years later.
A Long-Standing Feud and an Unexpected Truce
In his account, Morgan displays a surprising level of acceptance regarding the incident. He explained, "He ended up punching me before we settled things at the British Press Awards. I’ve still got the scar on my forehead, and it wasn’t entirely unjustified, so I have no complaints about it, although I did think he had a very weak punch, and he did break his finger hitting my head, which is quite satisfying."
Remarkably, the two media titans later managed to reconcile. Morgan revealed that Clarkson contacted him "out of the blue" to propose a drink. They met at Morgan's local pub and, as he put it, "actually had a great night." To formalise their peace, they enlisted their children. "We got his daughter and one of my sons to act as the official peace treaty ratifiers and peace in our time was agreed," Morgan said. He added that while they are "never going to be best buddies," they now tolerate each other without the desire for violence.
Clarkson's Version and Earlier Antagonism
Jeremy Clarkson has also publicly recalled the event, offering his own characteristically blunt perspective. Writing for The Times in 2022, he remembered Morgan asking, "Why’s your f****** wife looking at me like that?' In response, Clarkson said, "So I punched him. And then I punched him again. And then I thought: 'You know what? I don’t think this would ever get boring.' So I punched him again. And, annoyingly, broke my finger."
This was not their first public confrontation. The animosity seemingly began in 2003 during Concorde's last commercial flight, where the pair were seated next to each other. Clarkson once recalled on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, "I was on its last commercial flight they sat me next to the lavatory, or Piers Morgan as you know him. I poured a glass of water over his crotch, so when he got off, it looked like he’d wet himself."
An eyewitness account from the 2004 awards night by Ken Gibson, then The Sun's motoring editor, adds further context. He recalled trying to defuse the situation, telling the rivals, "See how many cameras there are? See how many journalists? You’re going to end up on the front pages for all of the reasons. You need to grow up and just go back to your seats now and sit down." He confirmed that stories in the Daily Mirror had "clearly caused a great deal of anguish among the Clarkson family."
From Enemies to a Cautious Peace
By 2017, the relationship had thawed significantly. Morgan even posted a photo of them together in Saint Tropez, joking, "Bumped into an old mate in St Tropez last night… and we didn’t even punch each other." This détente was further cemented in 2020 when Piers Morgan appeared as a contestant on the Christmas special of ITV’s Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, which was hosted by Jeremy Clarkson.
The saga of Morgan and Clarkson serves as a vivid chapter in modern British media history, illustrating how a fierce professional rivalry, fuelled by personal provocation, can escalate into physical violence before eventually cooling into a pragmatic, if not warm, truce.
