Vernon Kay has publicly praised Chris Packham as “one of the best” following the naturalist’s public clash with Jeremy Clarkson over the latter’s Amazon Prime series, Clarkson’s Farm. Kay’s comments came during a discussion about Packham’s new five-part BBC Two series, Evolution, which Kay described as “cracking” after watching it alongside Paddy McGuinness for an upcoming episode of Celebrity Gogglebox.
Kay’s Endorsement of Packham
Speaking on BBC Radio 2 on Wednesday, July 15, Kay said: “Paddy and I did Gogglebox for this Friday – it's on this Friday – and there's a nature programme with Chris Packham, and he talks about evolution. That's what his programme is about; it's about evolution. And he talks about where we all stem from, and one cell is the key to our life, all life; fascinating. Yeah, it's worth a watch. I mean, Paddy and I were like, 'Get out – no way!'”
Kay added: “I couldn't believe I was related to him, I'll be honest with you. We're all related to each other. It's cracking. It's a great show. Chris Packham – one of the best, isn't he?”
The Clarkson-Packham Dispute
The praise comes after Jeremy Clarkson took aim at Packham for his comments about Clarkson’s Farm during a previous episode of Celebrity Gogglebox. Packham had criticized the show’s depiction of Diddly Squat Farm, stating that it is “not what a farm looks like” and claiming that most farms are “horrible monocultures which have been sprayed with deadly chemicals” with animals kept “indoors in crates.”
In response, Clarkson dismissed Packham’s remarks as “bollocks” in his column for The Sun. He 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. '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 further claimed that Packham had visited Diddly Squat Farm in 2012 and spent the day foraging and birdwatching, suggesting that if animals were being crushed, Packham would have noticed and said something. Clarkson’s farming co-star, Harriet Cowan, also weighed in on TikTok, saying: “Chris Packham. Maybe before throwing shade at all farmers, research your facts. What world are you living in?”
Upcoming Celebrity Gogglebox Episode
Despite the feud, Kay and McGuinness will appear together on the next episode of Celebrity Gogglebox, airing Friday, July 17, from 9pm to 10pm on Channel 4. The episode will feature their reactions to Packham’s Evolution series, among other shows.
