Model and TV presenter Jodie Kidd has described Jeremy Clarkson as "highly intelligent" and "incredibly loyal", saying his Clarkson's Farm series reveals a more realistic side to the former Top Gear host than the persona he played on screen.
Kidd, 48, appeared on Top Gear's 'Star in a Reasonably Priced Car' segment in 2003, interviewed by Clarkson, now 66, who was among the creative forces behind the show.
What Jodie Kidd said about Clarkson
Speaking on the Cars & Money and Tom Hartley Cars podcast, Kidd said: "I absolutely love him to death. He's not this big kind of buffoon that actually comes across. I think Clarkson's Farm has shown a more realistic side to him."
She added: "You know, on Top Gear, he always came across as playing a role, playing a persona, but he's not like that. He's highly intelligent. Brilliant, brilliant mind. Incredible thought processes go into every single special and every single show."
Loyalty and family
Kidd also praised Clarkson's character away from the cameras, saying: "He's behind the machine, making it all happen. Incredibly loyal, a very good friend and just a brilliant person all round. Yeah, I love him to bits, and Leese [Lisa]. The whole family are just magic."
Her comments come more than a decade after Clarkson left Top Gear in 2015.
Another co-star's view
Earlier this month, Clarkson's Farm co-star Harriet Cowan also spoke fondly of Clarkson, describing him as "a father figure that didn't know anything about farming". Cowan, 25, who stepped in as a temporary replacement for Kaleb Cooper before departing mid-season, said: "He's a very similar age to my dad, but he was the opposite of my dad because my dad's the one who has the knowledge, and we sort of learn from him."
She added: "So it was sort of like I had to take the reins on that a bit. And, to be fair, as far as it goes, he listened to everything, and he learned so much."
