Jeremy Clarkson has bid an emotional farewell to some of his dearest companions at Diddly Squat Farm, marking the end of a very special chapter in his life.
The broadcaster, best known for his work on Top Gear and The Grand Tour, has long made his 1,000-acre farm in Chadlington, near Chipping Norton, the centrepiece of his life since purchasing it back in 2008. In recent years, it has also become the backdrop for his smash-hit Amazon Prime series Clarkson’s Farm, which is currently filming its highly anticipated fifth season. The show has been praised not only for its candid and often comedic insight into the struggles of modern farming, but also for shining a light on the resilience of Britain’s agricultural community.
While Clarkson’s Farm has introduced viewers to a colourful cast of characters such as Kaleb Cooper, Gerald Cooper, and Clarkson’s partner Lisa Hogan, two of its most cherished stars have come on four legs—Arya and Sansa, Clarkson’s fox-red Labrador Retrievers. Affectionately named after characters from the fantasy epic Game of Thrones, the dogs have become a fixture on the farm and in Clarkson’s social media updates, delighting fans with their loyal presence.
Earlier this year, Arya brought new life to Diddly Squat when she gave birth to an extraordinary litter of eleven puppies. Clarkson himself played midwife during the summer delivery, proudly sharing the joyful moment with his followers. The timing coincided with the Women’s Football Euros, leading Clarkson to jokingly remark online:
“Now I know you’ve all been enjoying the football but I’ve been rather busy, if I’m honest, because look what Arya’s done. Well done Lionesses, but really, really, really well done Arya.”
Over the weeks that followed, Clarkson regularly updated fans with glimpses of the growing pups, showing how quickly they developed and how much affection they brought to the farm. But now, as summer has passed and each of the young Labradors has been rehomed, Clarkson has found himself grappling with the bittersweet reality of saying goodbye.
On Instagram, he shared a touching farewell montage set to James Blunt’s famously poignant track You’re Beautiful, writing:
“Goodbye my puppies, goodbye my friends. We have loved you so much.”
In a follow-up post, he acknowledged the joy of seeing the puppies find loving families, but admitted how difficult it was to part with them:
“So happy the puppies are going to wonderful families. But God it’s sad to see them go.”
For Clarkson, the departure of the puppies may feel like a small heartbreak, but for viewers who have followed the journey, it underscores one of the central themes of Clarkson’s Farm: that farming, for all its triumphs and moments of joy, is also full of loss, change, and the quiet sadness of letting go.
