Jeremy Clarkson Overwhelmed with Emotion as Farming Choir He Founded Triumphs on Britain's Got Talent
Jeremy Clarkson, the renowned television personality and star of Clarkson's Farm, broke his silence with visible emotion over the weekend regarding the farming choir he helped establish, which audaciously auditioned for Britain's Got Talent. The 65-year-old took to Instagram to share his profound joy after tuning in to watch the choir's performance on the ITV competition programme, where they were awarded the coveted Golden Buzzer, securing their place in the live shows.
A Heartfelt Performance That Captivated the Nation
On Saturday night, the Hawkstone Farmers Choir, comprising farmers from across the United Kingdom, delivered a stirring choral rendition of Elbow's One Day Like This before judges Amanda Holden, KSI, Alesha Dixon, and Simon Cowell. Clarkson, in his social media address, expressed being 'so happy' and lavished praise on the 'fantastic' group, highlighting their dedication as agricultural workers who toil tirelessly for modest rewards.
Originally formed by Clarkson during a search for singing farmhands for an advertisement promoting his Hawkstone beer range, the choir is now managed by farmers Simon Gwilliam and Lizzy Dean. Clarkson recounted, 'I watched Britain's Got Talent tonight for the first time because the Hawkstone choir were on. They were just fantastic. These guys are all farmers and they work incredibly hard for really incredibly small rewards and to see them all on that stage with all that love in the room made my heart sing.'
Golden Buzzer Moment Sparks Tears and Applause
Holding back tears, Clarkson admitted, 'I actually welled up, and thank you Amanda Holden for pressing that Golden Buzzer. It shows that I think people quite like farmers, and they were very, very good so well done, all of you. I'm a very happy man tonight because the choir is fab. That's it.' The emotional audition saw judge Amanda Holden, 55, reach for the Golden Buzzer, propelling the 32-member choir straight into the live semi-finals, a moment that elicited tears from the panel and audience alike.
Amanda Holden remarked, 'As you started, I completely welled up. I felt so much power. I love the whole community. I love how you've all got together and work your a**es off. You work so hard every single day. You absolutely smashed it and I can't wait to see what you do in the semi-finals. Congratulations.' Guest judge Stacey Solomon added, 'I don't think anyone will understand the power of a choir unless they've been in a choir. It's such an incredible space to release and just letting it go. I'm so grateful that I got to experience that in real life, so thank you and congrats.'
Community and Unity at the Heart of the Choir
Fellow judges Alesha Dixon and KSI also praised the performance, with Dixon noting, 'Music is so powerful, it's like therapy. And you could really feel that. It sounded beautiful,' and KSI exclaiming, 'Wow! Talk about multi-talented. Farming and then singing. Honestly, it felt like you belonged there. Congratulations and we'll see you soon.' The Hawkstone Farmers Choir, which has been performing together since 2024, now advances to compete for the £250,000 prize and a spot at this year's Royal Variety Performance.
Before their audition, choir member Katryna Shell explained to the judges and audience at Birmingham's Hippodrome, 'Jeremy Clarkson did a thing… Jeremy brought us together to sing, and it's just really been amazing for us all. Every single one of us is in agriculture in some way or another. This isn't our day jobs; we're usually out in the fields. We work by ourselves day in and day out, sometime 16, 17 hours a day. This has brought us together.'
She continued, 'We're not singers by nature. It's brought us as a family – we have one thing that unites us and that is farming. We love what we do but it can be incredibly hard: really lonely, very isolating. To do this all together, it's meant the world to us.' Reflecting post-performance, Katryna added, 'The choir has turned into something so much more than singing... We have come together as a community, something I didn't even anticipate. The choir is filled with all sorts of people with varying ages, singing experience, parts of the country but we all have farming linking us together - it's like nothing I've ever experienced before.'
Overwhelming Support from Fans and Clarkson Himself
Fans flooded the comments section of Clarkson's Instagram video with messages of support and admiration. One user wrote, 'Over the last 5 years you have pulled back the veil of farming and brought it into the homes of millions... well done for bringing these farmers together.' Another chimed in, 'They earned that golden buzzer, they were fantastic and it was an emotional moment for all of us, thanks to you, Jeremy.' A third expressed, 'We love our British farmers. Feel the love guys - it’s real,' while a fourth hoped, 'Wouldn’t it be fantastic if the public got behind them for the win!'
Clarkson previously told the Daily Mail, 'I wasn't surprised to see Amanda moved to tears by the choir's performance at their audition, because I've known for a while now that you can plough soil and shovel dung all day and still have a sweet, sweet voice. To see the choir go from a half-formed idea to a musical phenomenon performing on national TV fills me with more pride than I can say and I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for them in the semi-finals. I reckon you'll hear cheers of support from every other farm in the land too.'
Britain's Got Talent continues next Saturday at 6:45pm on ITV1, ITVX, and STV, with the Hawkstone Farmers Choir poised to showcase their talent in the upcoming live semi-finals, embodying the spirit and resilience of the farming community.
