Jeremy Clarkson has hit back at Chris Packham after the wildlife presenter criticised the depiction of farms in the opening credits of Clarkson's Farm during an appearance on Celebrity Gogglebox. The exchange comes as the latest series of the Prime Video show continues to draw attention to the realities of modern farming.
Packham's Criticism on Gogglebox
During the Channel 4 programme, a segment from Clarkson's Farm was shown, prompting Packham to voice his displeasure. As the animated title sequence played, Packham exclaimed: "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."
He added: "That's an idealistic view of a farm, and it puts the wrong idea in people's minds. And that's only the titles!" Turning to his stepdaughter Megan McCubbin, he asked: "What's my blood pressure?"
Clarkson's Response in The Sun
Jeremy Clarkson responded in his weekly column for The Sun, revealing that Packham had visited Diddly Squat Farm back in 2012. Clarkson wrote: "The endlessly angry Chris Packham went on Gogglebox this week and erupted in blind fury about the Winnie the Pooh-ish opening credits to my farming programme."
He continued: "'That's not what a farm looks like', he fumed. No, Chris. It's a drawing. But he wasn't finished. 'Most farms are horrible monocultures which have been sprayed with deadly chemicals . . . the ground has been pumped full of fertiliser and most of the animals are indoors, in crates, being crushed and kept in the dark.'"
Clarkson dismissed Packham's claims as "b******s," adding: "And Chris knows it's b******s because, back in 2012, he came to Diddly Squat and spent the day in our woods, foraging and bird watching. If there had been some animals in a crate, being crushed, I'm sure he would have noticed and said something."
Background on Clarkson's Farm
Clarkson's Farm first aired in 2021 and follows Jeremy Clarkson's efforts to run Diddly Squat Farm in the Cotswolds with the help of 26-year-old farmer Kaleb Cooper. The latest series documents major changes to the operation, driven by a strict government budget that has caused uproar in the UK farming community. The show also highlights high-tech crop treatments, government pressure, heavy taxes, and the complexities of expanding into a traditional pub.
Clarkson's Health Scare
The most recent installment of Clarkson's Farm offered an intimate look at Clarkson's health concerns, as he revealed he was just "days away" from a fatal heart attack. Describing the incident, Clarkson said: "I was scrolling on my phone. If I hadn't been doing that I wouldn't have got pins and needles in my arm. If I hadn't got pins and needles, I wouldn't have gone: 'Hang on, am I having a heart problem?' and wouldn't have gone to hospital. They put me in this big polo mint [scanner] and they found out I have got really bad coronary heart problems."
Embracing Kaleb Cooper, Clarkson added: "I'm back and I'm not dead—the reaper will have to wait. It was f****** close though."
