Animal rights group PETA has written to Jeremy Clarkson, urging him to close his controversial pig farm following a devastating tuberculosis outbreak at his Diddly Squat farm in Oxfordshire. The outbreak, confirmed earlier this month, has led to a lockdown on the farm and left Clarkson and his team 'absolutely devastated'.
In a letter shared exclusively with the Express, PETA called on the Clarkson's Farm star to stop breeding animals and convert the site into an animal sanctuary, focusing instead on his mushroom and vegetable farming. The charity offered to make Clarkson an ambassador for its new website, BritishFarming.org, if he agrees to the plant-powered proposal.
Clarkson, who bought the 1,000-acre farm in 2008 and began farming it in 2019, described the TB outbreak as 'dreadful' in an interview with Times Radio. He explained that routine tests every six months had previously been clear, but a recent test returned positive, resulting in a lockdown. Bovine tuberculosis is a respiratory disease that can be transmitted between animals and to humans.
PETA's letter stated: 'Perhaps behind the bravado and banter lies a man who wants to find a better way. We believe this could be a turning point for you and a golden opportunity to leave behind the violence of breeding and farming animals.' The group urged Clarkson to 'lean into your mushroom and vegetable farming and let Diddly Squat Farm evolve into a sanctuary'.
Clarkson's Farm, which documents the presenter's struggles and successes in agriculture, has been renewed for a fifth season on Amazon Prime. The TB outbreak marks one of the biggest setbacks since Clarkson took over the farm's operations.
