Jeremy Clarkson has revealed that his right-hand man Kaleb Cooper is not talking to him, following a series of what he calls 'harebrained schemes' on Diddly Squat farm.
The 66-year-old media personality explained in The Sunday Times that his latest ventures have pushed the 28-year-old farm manager to give him the silent treatment.
Rabbit breeding and flax planting
Clarkson said he discovered that no one in the UK was farming rabbits, and decided to breed them without considering there might be a reason. He described the creatures as 'vicious' and said he emerges from daily encounters bleeding profusely.
He also decided to plant flax to produce linen, but after consulting an expert, he realised there is no equipment near the Cotswolds to harvest it, meaning it would have to be done by hand. This would require a team of 40 people working 50-hour weeks for a year.
Kaleb's reaction
Clarkson quoted Kaleb as saying: 'You've got to stop coming up with harebrained schemes without thinking them through.' Kaleb also pointed out that there is no way they will be able to collect everything they grew, so the vast majority will just sit there.
Despite the rift, the pair have a close friendship off screen. When Kaleb married last month, Clarkson attended with his girlfriend Lisa Hogan and supplied unlimited alcohol from his brand Hawkstone.
Meanwhile, Clarkson's pub The Farmer's Dog was visited by Peta protesters earlier this month, who were protesting meat consumption using a realistic-looking dog. Clarkson later brushed off the incident in his Sun column, quipping that his security threw them out.
