Jeremy Clarkson Defends Season 4 of Clarkson’s Farm Amid Fan Backlash Over Pub-Focused Plot

“It’s still about farming,” Clarkson insists, as Season 4 draws criticism for shifting gears.

Jeremy Clarkson is pushing back after fans criticized Season 4 of Clarkson’s Farm for spending more time pouring pints than planting crops. The latest season of the hit Amazon Prime Video series, which followed Clarkson’s chaotic efforts to open a farm-to-table pub in the Cotswolds, has sparked heated debate online.

Since the season’s release, many viewers have taken to Reddit and other platforms to voice frustration, claiming the show has drifted too far from its agricultural roots. Popular threads titled “Season 4 felt rushed, artificial, and wasn’t exciting” and “Clarkson’s Pub, Not Farm” summed up the general sentiment.

“I watched the show for farming, not to see someone decorate a pub,” one viewer wrote bluntly.
“Even when farming was mentioned, it felt secondary or rushed,” another added.

In response, Clarkson took to X (formerly Twitter) to defend the show’s direction. After a fan said the pub storyline felt overwhelming and out of place, Clarkson replied, “I know what you mean but the pub is farm related.”

Indeed, the pub—aptly named The Farmer’s Dog—was designed to showcase and sell locally sourced British produce, tying back to Clarkson’s overarching mission to support local agriculture. But the execution, according to critics, overshadowed what fans loved most: watching Clarkson fumble through the unpredictable world of farming.

Despite the shift in focus, Season 4 wasn’t without its usual farm chaos. Weather disasters returned, Caleb Cooper made an uneasy comeback, newcomer Harriet Cowan joined the Diddly Squat team, and long-time team member Alan Townend faced a serious health scare. Still, many viewers felt those elements played second fiddle to pub drama.

Adding fuel to the fire was the controversial £40,000 purchase of giant pub umbrellas—or “Jumbrellas”—that Clarkson initially mocked. However, he later admitted they were necessary, even sharing a photo on social media with the caption: “Turns out Sue and Rachel had a point,” referencing his on-screen consultants. Rachel Hawkins cheekily reposted the image, reminding fans that the all-weather solution was exactly what she had recommended nearly a year earlier.

Regardless of the backlash, Clarkson’s Farm remains one of Prime Video’s most popular UK series. Filming for Season 5 is already underway, with a release expected in 2026.

What direction the show will take remains unclear—whether it returns to plowing fields or pouring pints—but one thing is certain: Jeremy Clarkson sees no conflict between farming and hospitality.

“Farming and pubs go hand in hand,” Clarkson wrote. And for now, it seems, he’s sticking to that recipe.