The Clarkson’s Farm presenter has been urged to cease animal farming at his Diddly Squat Farm in the Cotswolds after a devastating tuberculosis outbreak in recent weeks
TV star Jeremy Clarkson has been urged by PETA to halt animal farming at his property following a “devastating” outbreak of tuberculosis. The presenter of Clarkson’s Farm has seen his Diddly Squat Farm livestock severely affected by bovine TB in recent weeks.
Clarkson initially bought the Oxfordshire property back in 2008, leasing it out before taking on the farming responsibilities himself in 2019.
The first series of the popular Amazon Prime show was a huge hit and has been renewed for a fifth season, despite the TB crisis being one of the biggest challenges since Clarkson took over the farm.
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has now written a letter to Clarkson, urging him to stop animal breeding and convert the site into a plant-based operation, according to the Express.
The organisation claims they sent a letter “urging him to ensure that no more animals suffer and die at his hands by making the farm an animal sanctuary and focusing on his mushroom and vegetable farming”, reports the Mirror.
The letter, shared exclusively with the Express, read: “Perhaps behind the bravado and banter lies a man who wants to find a better way. That’s why we’re writing to you today.
“We believe this could be a turning point for you and a golden opportunity to leave behind the violence of breeding and farming animals.
“Lean into your mushroom and vegetable farming and let Diddly Squat Farm evolve into a sanctuary for both you and the animals still housed there. No more killing. No more heartache.”
During a conversation with Times Radio earlier this month, Jeremy confirmed the “dreadful” news regarding the outbreak.
He disclosed: “It’s awful, it is awful. You have a test every six months on the cows and then you sort of become blasé, it’s a hypothetical threat.
“And then the vet looks up as he did yesterday lunchtime and said ‘I’m really sorry this one’s failed’. So that means we’re now locked down and it’s just dreadful, absolutely dreadful.”
A message on X, previously Twitter, declared: “Bad news from Diddly Squat. We’ve gone down with TB. Everyone here is absolutely devastated.”
Clarkson gained prominence alongside Richard Hammond and James May as one of the presenters of the reimagined Top Gear, helming the BBC show almost continuously from 1988 to 2015 before leaving the broadcaster after he assaulted a producer.
Clarkson, Hammond and May later developed The Grand Tour, which broadcast on Amazon Prime until last year.
He has also enjoyed enormous success with Clarkson’s Farm on the streaming service, which chronicles Clarkson learning agricultural methods on his 1,000 acre Cotswolds property with assistance from seasoned farming professionals.
PETA sought to persuade Clarkson to adopt their suggestion. The letter continued: “If Clarkson agrees to the plant-powered proposal, PETA would celebrate by making him the ambassador of its new website, BritishFarming.org, which encourages farmers, consumers, and policymakers to end animal suffering, protect the environment, and support rural communities by switching to kind, sustainable plant farming.”
TB can be contagious to all mammals, including humans. Clarkson’s farm undergoes biannual TB testing as it is situated within an “edge area” for the disease, serving as a buffer zone between high risk and low risk regions.
The illness, notorious for wreaking havoc on farming businesses, primarily affects the respiratory system and can spread through nose to nose contact and via exposure to saliva, urine, faeces and milk.
A representative for Clarkson has been approached for comment.
