Jeremy Clarkson says he and his team are “absolutely devastated” as farm animals face slaughter
Diddly Squat Farm, made famous by the hit Prime Video series Clarkson’s Farm, has been struck by bovine tuberculosis, forcing an immediate lockdown and leaving Jeremy Clarkson and his team reeling.
Speaking on radio, the 65-year-old presenter and columnist revealed that routine six-monthly tests had delivered the worst possible news.
“It’s awful. Absolutely dreadful,” Clarkson said. “The vet looked up yesterday at lunchtime and said, ‘I’m really sorry, this one’s failed.’ That means we’re now locked down and nothing can come onto the farm and nothing can leave it.”
One infected cow has already been isolated. Heartbreakingly, it had to be separated from its calf and is pregnant with twins. If it fails a second test in two months, it will be slaughtered. Clarkson fears his prized bull may also be infected.
Herd in Jeopardy
All of Clarkson’s cows were tested this week, with at least one “probable” case confirmed. “What’s been hypothetical is now very real here,” he said. “I gave birth to that cow, and now it may have to be put down.”
The former Top Gear host expressed empathy for farmers who spend decades perfecting breeding lines, only to see entire herds wiped out by TB. Around 20,000 cattle are slaughtered annually in England due to the disease.
Frustration at Testing and Policy
Clarkson criticised the current system, calling the TB test “absurd” and unreliable. “You shove two needles into a cow, then measure the lumps to the millimetre. On a bucking animal, it just can’t be that accurate,” he argued, adding that many culled cows later show no trace of the disease at post-mortem.
He also expressed confusion over differing rules between England and Wales, and questioned whether the now-halted badger cull had any real effect.
“There’s an entire government department set up to deal with it, but it often feels like their principal function is simply to exist,” he said.
A Farm Under Pressure
The TB outbreak comes amid other difficulties. Clarkson revealed one of his puppies died the same morning, and a calf remains seriously ill. He also complained of extreme weather, with last year the wettest on record and this year one of the driest, hitting wheat yields hard.
“Honestly, farming – I’m not enjoying it this week,” he admitted.
Still Banned from the Pub
Asked whether Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was still barred from Clarkson’s Diddly Squat pub, The Hawkstone Arms, Clarkson didn’t hesitate: “Oh God, yes. I hate very few people in life, but I do hate that man. He’s awful.”
Looking Ahead
The farm must now remain under restriction for at least two months before a retest. Clarkson fears it could be far longer: “I was talking to a vet yesterday who’s seen a farm shut down for 11 years because of TB.”
The farm shop remains open to the public, as bovine TB does not affect humans. But for Clarkson, the immediate future is bleak.
“Trust me, there are things you don’t know that make it even worse,” he said. “But we shall plough on and see if we can get some harvesting done today.”
