Farming Disaster Looms for Jeremy Clarkson as TB Outbreak Sparks Quarantine Measures

Jeremy Clarkson, the famously outspoken British television presenter, journalist, and motoring enthusiast, has found himself in the middle of a farming crisis.
Best known for hosting Top Gear and The Grand Tour, Clarkson has more recently become a farmer and rural advocate through his unscripted Amazon Prime series Clarkson’s Farm.

His 1,000-acre Diddly Squat Farm in Chadlington, Oxfordshire, England, is now under lockdown due to a confirmed case of bovine tuberculosis (bTB), a serious infectious disease affecting cattle.

Lamborghini Tractors, Crops, and Animals

Clarkson’s farming journey began in 2019 when the farmer who had been leasing his land retired. Rather than rent it out again, Clarkson decided to take on the challenge himself.

The result was Clarkson’s Farm, a documentary-style series that follows his often humorous but sincere efforts to run a working farm—such as purchasing a tractor made by exotic car manufacturer Lamborghini—the Lamborghini R8 270 DCR tractor that was too large to fit in the storage barn, let alone too wide to go through fenced areas. As well, the tractor was equipped with 48 gears and 188 buttons, had a turbocharged six-cylinder engine with 269 horsepower and 775 lb-ft of torque, and was far more powerful and complex than necessary for the tasks on his farm. He ended up selling it at a loss.

Lamborghini, it should be noted, got its start in the vehicle manufacturing business by building agricultural tractors.

Ferruccio Lamborghini founded Lamborghini Trattori in 1948 in Cento, Italy, using discarded war materials like truck and military vehicle engines. Born under the star sign of Taurus (the bull), the Lamborghini tractors became known for their durability and technical sophistication, becoming one of Italy’s leading agricultural machinery manufacturers.

Being rich, he purchased a Ferrari or two but was dissatisfied with recurring clutch issues in his Ferrari 250 GT. Confronting Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari, he was told, “The problem isn’t the car; it’s the driver. Go back to your tractors.” That’s how a ticked off Lamborghini became involved in building cars.

As for Clarkson’s Farm, the show has been praised for shedding light on the real struggles of British farmers, from unpredictable weather to complex regulations.

At Diddly Squat Farm, Clarkson raises cattle, grows crops like barley and wheat, and operates a farm shop that sells local produce. His Aberdeen Angus bull, Endgame, and other animals—cows, sheep, pigs, and chickens—have become fan favourites, adding a personal touch to the series.

In August 2025, Clarkson revealed that one of his cows had tested positive for bovine tuberculosis during a routine six-month screening.

“You sort of become blasé; it’s a hypothetical threat,” he told Times Radio. “And then the vet looks up and says, ‘I’m really sorry, this one’s failed.’ So that means we’re now locked down, and it’s just dreadful, absolutely dreadful.”

The infected cow is pregnant with twins and, under UK law, must be culled to prevent the disease from spreading.

The farm is not shut down. It is, however, under a two-month lockdown, during which no cattle can be bought or sold.

Clarkson has had to convert grain storage barns into temporary cow hospitals, and the disruption has been immense. “You aren’t allowed to operate as a business,” he said.

Adding to the emotional toll, Clarkson also shared that one of his puppies died the same week, and a calf on the farm is suffering from pneumonia. His prized bull Endgame also received an inconclusive test result, leaving fans concerned about his fate.

The UK government has shifted its strategy from badger culling—which we saw on Clarkson’s Farm—to vaccination, with no new intensive culling licenses issued in 2023. However, 29 areas continued culling under existing licenses, and 19 counties implemented badger vaccination programs.

Economic and Emotional Impact

The financial consequences of a bTB outbreak are significant. Farmers face losses from culled animals, halted trade, and increased biosecurity costs. The emotional toll is equally severe, especially when beloved animals are affected.

Clarkson has been candid about the stress—and can frequently be seen sad when one of his animals is culled—and said, “Honestly, farming? I’m not enjoying it this week.”

The outbreak comes on top of a poor harvest season. Clarkson reported that extreme weather, including heatwaves and drought, devastated his crops.

“Our beans died. Our barley yields were dismal. And I won’t grow chickpeas because they are disgusting,” he joked but noted that out of 400,000 beetroots planted, only two grew.

For now, Clarkson and his team are focused on containment, recovery, and preparing for the next round of tests.

All four season’s of Clarkson’s Farm are available on Amazon Prime.