Jeremy Clarkson has reignited his feud with naturalist Chris Packham, taking a fresh swipe in his Sunday Times column after Packham criticised the opening sequence of Clarkson's Farm on Celebrity Gogglebox. The 66-year-old former Top Gear host wrote sarcastically about the 'new age of tolerance and respect', suggesting he should have remained silent instead of calling Packham's comments 'bollocks'.
Packham's Comments Spark Row
During a segment of Celebrity Gogglebox aired last week, Packham said of the show: 'That's not what a farm looks like. Most farms are horrible monocultures which have been sprayed with deadly chemicals… the ground has been pumped full of fertiliser and most of the animals are indoors, in crates, being crushed and kept in the dark.' Clarkson initially responded in his Sun column, branding the remarks 'bollocks' and describing Packham as 'endlessly angry'. He also noted that Packham had visited Diddly Squat Farm in 2012 and would have noticed any animal cruelty.
Sarcastic Tone in Sunday Times
In his July 19 Sunday Times column, Clarkson addressed the row again while discussing his recent prostate cancer diagnosis. He admitted he had been touched by well-wishes from fans and considered becoming a more tolerant person. 'And that brings me on to Chris Packham,' he wrote. 'I was very incensed by this and immediately wrote in The Sun that he was talking bollocks. But in the new age of tolerance and respect, I shouldn't have done that. I should have kept schtum.'
Mocking Gary Lineker's Diplomacy
Citing Gary Lineker as a model of thoughtfulness, Clarkson joked about the changes he would need to make. 'So, when I next go to Berlin, I must say that I'm going to 'Germany or Deutschland,' and when I next visit the Uffizi, I must say I'm visiting 'Florence or Firenze', having crossed the English Channel, or La Manche, and used the motorway or autoroute. Sounds like being Gary could well be very time consuming,' he added. He concluded that being more thoughtful would be 'exhausting', requiring him to consider his food, shoes, holidays, newspapers, expressions, political views, friends, car, admired actors, and views on Gaza and Hamas.
