A Clarkson’s Farm star has hit back at abuse over her appearance with an emotional statement.
Harriet Cowan from Derbyshire was a new addition to the cast in the latest season, which was released on Prime Video across May and June this year.
She temporarily stood in for long-time fan favourite Kaleb Cooper as he toured, helping Jeremy Clarkson at the farm in Chadlington, Oxfordshire.
The 24-year-old left midway through the series once her help was no longer needed, but became popular with viewers despite her short time on screen.
On Monday, Ms Cowan took to her Instagram page to address several negative comments about her appearance.
One person said: “She has never been a real farmer and is attempting to be a media star. As you say, it’s a bit insulting to the real farm girls.
“None I have ever known apply full makeup and get their hair done to drive a tractor.”
Another added: “I’m sure there are more informative speakers that would shed some light on how to navigate farming.”
Someone else said: “Personally, I think ‘fame’ has gone to her head! Loads of her posts that pop up on Facebook are just so not necessary.
“People have been farming for years and still do without all the attention. They just get on with it!”
Annoyed with the wave of abuse online, Ms Cowan issued an emotional statement defending herself from the commenters.
“Yes, I’m doing a panel about females in farming,” she said.
“But I think I earn the right to do so when day in day out I work just the same as every other farmer covered in s***, who cares if I wear makeup or not.
“I don’t care if you have a haircut or not. I have farmed alongside my granddad and dad. I genuinely love it; this is my job, and it’s again only because I’m a girl.
“Come on, I have been quiet because I think if I don’t share so much, I won’t get the comments, but they still come, remember we are real people.”
Ms Cowan previously addressed the topic of being a woman in a male-heavy industry during her Farmers Guardian column earlier this month.
“As a woman in farming, I am often asked if it is difficult to work in a predominantly male industry, and the honest truth is: sometimes, yes,” she wrote.
“There are still times when I have to prove myself twice over, or assumptions are made before you have even closed the cab door.
“But I also have a community where I have grown up farming, and I have not been seen as any less able than the lads I work with.
“And when I got my first real contracting job, my boss would say he would rather have women driving because they take more care, and the tractor stays cleaner.”
