Hannah Bourne-Taylor, the bird expert featured on the fifth series of Clarkson's Farm, has addressed fans' speculation that she may be neurodivergent following her on-screen dispute with farmhand Kaleb Cooper. In a lighthearted Instagram video, she referenced the internet's diagnosis of autism and impersonated the character Rain Man while listing 100 bird species.
Background on the Dispute
The show follows Jeremy Clarkson managing his Cotswolds farm. Clarkson invited Bourne-Taylor after expressing concern about the absence of common farmland birds. Her passion was evident when she revealed she had let a bird nest in her hair for 84 days, astonishing Clarkson.
However, tensions arose when Bourne-Taylor explained that ploughing a field would kill endangered nesting birds and their young. Kaleb Cooper argued that delaying harvest for weeks was not feasible. Clarkson eventually brokered a compromise that protected the birds while allowing the harvest.
Fan Reactions and Speculation
Some viewers criticized Bourne-Taylor on Reddit, calling her 'rude' towards Cooper. One user wrote: 'I just thought she came across as genuinely quite rude, and there were points I thought she was going to storm off set.' Another added: 'She's literally just met these people, who are doing their best for their farm animals, and she acted like they were wanton idiots killing baby birds for fun.'
Other users speculated that Bourne-Taylor might be neurodivergent, citing her intense enthusiasm for birds as potential evidence of autism, despite her never having disclosed such information.
Hannah's Response
In response, Bourne-Taylor posted an Instagram video standing in a field, wearing denim shorts and a red plaid shirt. She said: 'So the internet has diagnosed me with autism, so this is my impression of Rain Man in light of hitting 100,000 followers, I am going to try to say 100 birds.' She then listed numerous species, including tits, seabirds like puffins and razorbills, and farm birds.
Fans praised her response, with one commenting: 'You star Hannah.' Another viewer noted: 'All I know is, I now stand in my garden with my Merlin app hearing things I have missed for 50 years, so thank you for that, it's amazing.'
