Piers Morgan Reveals How Jeremy Clarkson Struck Him in the Head — and the Unexpected Moment That Followed

Piers Morgan has opened up about the time Jeremy Clarkson struck him in the head and left a lasting scar.

The incident happened back in 2004 at the British Press Awards, where tensions between the two men finally boiled over.

At the time, Piers—then editor of the Daily Mirror—had published photos of Jeremy with a woman who was not his wife, despite Jeremy asking him not to run the images.

In his new book Woke Is Dead, Piers recalled the confrontation, writing:

“He ended up striking 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.
Although I did think he had a very weak swing — and he broke his finger hitting my head, which is quite satisfying.”

From Clash to Truce

Despite the heated past, the pair have since managed to patch things up.

Piers explained their unexpected reconciliation:

“He contacted me out of the blue and said, ‘Morgan, Clarkson here — drink?’
We met in my local pub and actually had a great night.”

He added that their children helped act as “peace treaty ratifiers,” joking that while they’ll never be best friends, they now tolerate each other “without wanting to strike each other,” which he called “a major step forward.”

Jeremy’s Version of Events

Jeremy previously shared his side in a 2022 article for The Times:

“‘Why’s your f****** wife looking at me like that?’ he thundered.
So I took a swing at him. And then I did it again. And then I thought: ‘You know what? I don’t think this would ever get boring.’
So I did it again — and annoyingly broke my finger.”

From Feud to TV Banter

The two later ended up together on ITV’s Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? during a Christmas special.

When Piers was forced to use the “Ask the Host” lifeline, he joked:

“I can think of a million reasons why I shouldn’t trust you — including this scar on my forehead.”

Jeremy responded in kind:

“And there’s my broken finger… from when I caught you in the head.”

Piers later teased fans online, writing:

“Hosted by a man who once repeatedly took swings at my head.
It airs on Boxing Day — appropriately.”

Their Latest On-Screen Encounter

Most recently, Piers appeared on Clarkson’s Farm when Jeremy sought advice about running The Farmer’s Dog pub.

Before meeting Piers, Jeremy told viewers:

“I started with a chap who has been a dear friend for decades.”

Piers gave him a reality check about pub life:

“People steal stuff from pubs — salt and pepper pots, knives, forks, even the plates. They’ll take any art they can rip off the walls.”