The Hawkstone Farmers Choir, founded by Jeremy Clarkson, is preparing to release its debut album, This is Home, on November 20, after winning Britain's Got Talent in May 2026. Choir members have described Clarkson as "one of the nicest blokes ever" and credited him with giving them a platform to spread awareness about mental health in farming communities.
The choir, which evolved from Clarkson's advertising campaign for Hawkstone beer, has achieved unprecedented success in just over a year. It became the first-ever choir to win Britain's Got Talent in May 2026. The group is also releasing a Christmas single and heading on tour in 2027.
What Clarkson is really like off camera
Gwen Woodruffe, a choir member who works at Butser Ancient Farm, shared her gratitude for Clarkson, who initially gathered farmers and agricultural workers across the UK. "He has been so supportive. Do you know what? He's just one of the nicest blokes ever," Gwen told Express.co.uk. "He's just like he is on the telly on Clarkson's Farm. There's no pretence there - a spade's a spade. He says it as it is!"
Recalling their first meeting, Gwen said: "The first time that we met him, we were all lined up in front of [Jeremy's pub] The Farmer's Dog in the yard; he walked up with Kaleb [Cooper], and he looked at us, and he said, 'Are you all genuine farmers, or are you just actors that have been brought in?' And then he went, 'I can see that you're all genuine farmers just by looking at you'."
She added: "He and Kaleb have had a great time just getting to know us all individually and talking about what we do on our farms, and they're genuinely interested; we've had some great conversations with them. Jeremy has just been so supportive."
Mental health awareness at the core
Andy Fussell, the choir's director and an arable farmer, echoed this sentiment: "There's no awe involved with him. Jeremy just comes and sits down: 'All right, Andy, how are you doing?' We have a little bit of a mickey take; you've got to have a bit of banter."
Beyond the glitz and glamour of their BGT win, the group is hoping to make a difference. "I know we're called Hawkstone, and we all know the relevance to that with Jeremy and Kaleb and what they do," Andy noted. "But I think that mental health awareness is actually one of our key messages. It's a unique message."
He added: "We are the ones who have to sit in the tractor or the combine. We're even behind screens for hours, trying to work out where we go next. All members of the choir have had instances where they have been involved with, met, or had friends, cousins or even members of the family who have experienced suicide."
"We are specific to farming, but the rural community that we live in is very susceptible to isolation, especially the elderly. We are in villages. When you get a snowstorm or a hailstorm, or bad weather, they are basically isolated. So that's the bit that we want to help with."
Gratitude to Clarkson
Gwen expressed her thanks to Clarkson for helping the choir gain a platform. "I want to say thank you to Jeremy, actually, for being able to help us get that platform in the first place," she says. "Without him, we definitely wouldn't exist as a choir. It was his idea in the first place. I feel that it's given us a platform now to go out and spread that word and, hopefully, save lives."
This is Home, The Hawkstone Farmers Choir's debut album, will be released on November 20. To find out more about their 2027 tour, head to thehawkstonefarmerschoir.com.
