Countryfile star Chris Packham launched into a blistering rant about Clarkson's Farm during the latest edition of Celebrity Gogglebox. The 65-year-old naturalist teamed up with his step-daughter, Megan McCubbin, for the star-studded Channel 4 commentary show. Minutes into the programme, the broadcaster slammed the Clarkson's Farm star as the credits for his Amazon Prime show rolled on screen.
Packham's Fiery Critique
Packham hit out at the former Top Gear star and his Oxfordshire farm, arguing that his 1,000-acre farm is an unrealistic depiction of British farms across the country. He fumed: "Already, right, that's not what a farm looks like. Most farms are horrible monocultures, which have been sprayed with deadly chemicals time and time again. The ground is pumped full of fertiliser, and loads of the animals are indoors in crates, being crushed and kept in the dark. That's an idealistic view of a farm, and it puts the wrong idea in people's minds. And that's only the titles!" At this point, he turned to his step-daughter and asked: "What's my blood pressure?" as he concluded his rant.
Fan Reactions and Outrage
Shortly after the episode aired, a clip of his comments was shared by one of Jeremy Clarkson's X accounts for his Oxfordshire pub, The Farmer's Dog. Fans flocked to the comments to share their outrage. One user penned: "That's such c**p. Jeremy's farm is a FREE RANGE farm. Not a battery hell hole." Another agreed: "He's a f***ing idiot that is so stupid, he is even unaware that the veal crates that he seems to be referring to were banned in 1990. Which was 36 years ago." A third chimed in with: "The bloke's made a career out of being a sensationalist. Ignore this absolute screamer and don't give him the attention he clearly craves." Meanwhile, another insisted: "Sounds like he's got the wrong idea about farms. Let's hope he's never in charge of a farm. Not a chance he's ever provided pleasure of any kind to a woman, man or animal. Also, Clarkson's Farm is all about addressing the concerns he has. More curiosity and less arrogance required."
Defenders of Packham's View
However, others suggested that the BBC star wasn't entirely wrong. One user argued: "I mean, he has a fair point because we all have to agree that Clarkson's Farm isn't your typical farm, and I think even Clarkson would agree!" Another explained: "The point is to show why the small farmers who try to do the right thing for their animals, endangered birds etc, have a near impossible job between the government that makes farming way harder and the weather etc - i.e. why we should support them rather than factory farming."
