Clarkson’s Farm star Kaleb Cooper says he has developed a painful health condition. The star gained fame alongside Jeremy Clarkson as the manager of Diddly Squat Farm on the Amazon Prime show. In a social media post this weekend, Kaleb said he’s “never been in so much pain”, as he has developed shingles.
The virus causes sufferers to have a pins and needles sensation all over their body, leaving a painful rash – usually on one side of the body or face. Kaleb said: “I’ve never been in so much pain in my life. I don’t know how I’m saying this but I’m 27 years old and I’ve got shingles. It is so painful.”
He added: “I thought only old people get that and no disrespect if you’ve got it and you’re maybe old. Honestly, it’s like pins and needles continually in your body.” He said singles “hurts like a…”, before asking fans: “How do I get rid of it? Can I take a tablet to get rid of it really quickly or something?”
Born in 1998, Kaleb is a British farming contractor who became an overnight sensation as the breakout star of the documentary series Clarkson’s Farm. While Clarkson provides the name and the “ideas,” Kaleb provides the actual expertise and the blunt reality checks.Kaleb is essentially the “boss” of Diddly Squat Farm, he is the one who teaches Jeremy how to farm: From driving tractors to birthings lambs, Kaleb is the mentor. He is famous for his no-nonsense attitude and for frequently calling Clarkson a “moron” or “f***ing idiot” when he messes up. Before the show, Kaleb had rarely left his home of Chipping Norton.
He famously found a trip to London to be one of the most stressful experiences of his life. Kaleb is a serious entrepreneur who started his first business selling eggs at age 13. He runs his own agricultural contracting business, Kaleb Cooper Contracting. He has written several books, including the Sunday Times bestseller The World According to Kaleb and recently completed a national theater tour, The World According to Kaleb – On Tour.
It was recently announced that he’s getting his own solo spin-off called Kaleb: Down Under, where he travels to Australia to see how they handle farming on a massive scale.Kaleb is engaged to his long-term partner, Taya, and they have three children: Oscar, Willa Grace, and their youngest, Ashton (born in 2024).
Shingles (medically known as herpes zoster) is a viral infection that causes a painful, blistering rash. It is caused by the varicella-zoster virus—the very same virus that causes chickenpox. If you had chickenpox as a child, the virus didn’t actually leave your body. Instead, it went “dormant” (slept) in your nerve tissues. Years or decades later, the virus can “wake up” and travel along a nerve path to your skin, resulting in shingles.
The most distinct sign is a rash that appears as a single stripe or band of blisters, usually wrapping around one side of your torso or face. It almost never crosses the midline of your body. Before the rash even appears, people often feel intense burning, itching, or a “shooting” electrical pain in that specific area.
Fever, headache, and fatigue are common. The skin can become so sensitive that even the touch of clothing or a light breeze feels agonizing.
You cannot “catch” shingles from someone else. However, you can catch chickenpox from someone with an active shingles rash if you haven’t had chickenpox before (or haven’t been vaccinated). The virus is spread through direct contact with the fluid from the blisters.Once the blisters have scabbed over, the person is no longer contagious. There is no “cure,” but it is usually managed with antiviral medications. These are most effective if started within 72 hours of the rash appearing. They help the rash heal faster and reduce the risk of long-term nerve pain.
Over-the-counter relievers like ibuprofen or prescription nerve pain medications and cool compresses, calamine lotion, and loose-fitting clothing also help. The biggest concern with shingles isn’t just the rash—it’s a complication called Postherpetic Neuralgia (PHN). This is a type of chronic nerve pain that can last for months or even years after the rash has completely vanished.
