Jeremy Clarkson has declared "I've still got it" as he insisted his "stiff" arteries and "fatty" liver have not diminished his ability to assess a car. The former Top Gear presenter made the comments while reviewing the new electric Nissan Micra, after recently returning to motoring with a test of the Bentley Continental GT S.
Writing in The Sunday Times, Clarkson said: "It turns out that I've still got it. My arteries may be stiff and my liver fatty but the mind is still sharp and the knack of working out what's what with a car is still there."
He went on: "Which is why, after just a few miles in the new electric Nissan Micra, I thought to myself, 'Hang on. This feels awfully similar to the electric Renault 5 that I tested last summer'."
"When I got home, I did some digging and found the seat of my pants had been right. They may not look the same, but under the skin, they're identical."
Health battles
In June, Clarkson revealed he was in remission from prostate cancer. He had previously undergone heart surgery in 2024 after experiencing pins and needles and chest tightness. A doctor warned him that he had been at risk of a heart attack as a result of blocked arteries.
Clarkson has linked his declining health to the "stressful" demands of launching his Cotswolds pub, The Farmer's Dog. He made the remarks during the opening episode of the fifth series of Clarkson's Farm, telling co-star Kaleb Cooper: "I'm back and not dead. The Grim Reaper will have to wait. It was f***ing close, though."
Unpleasant farm duties
Clarkson has also opened up about the "unpleasant" tasks at Diddly Squat Farm. Writing in The Sun, he said: "Some jobs on the farm are unpleasant. Sexing rabbits is annoyingly difficult, and disposing of dead piglets is heartbreaking."
Despite that, he said there is "nowhere you'd rather be", but he criticised what he called the government's "strange hatred" of farmers.
He added: "Thanks to the hot summer and this government's strange hatred of farmers, you don't actually get paid for the wheat and the barley you've harvested. In fact, I worked out this morning that it'd be cheaper to go on an expensive holiday."
