Jeremy Clarkson has announced that his Diddly Squat farm in Oxfordshire is dealing with an outbreak of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) among its cattle. In a post on X, the former Top Gear presenter described the situation as 'devastating', clarifying that the disease is unlikely to be transmitted to humans.
Under UK law, cattle that test positive for bTB must be culled to prevent further spread. Clarkson confirmed that affected animals are being removed, stating: 'They have to be culled. It’s the law.' The farm has entered a mandatory lockdown, meaning no cattle can be bought or sold, though the farm shop remains open to the public.
Clarkson expressed particular concern about his prize-winning Aberdeen Angus bull, Endgame, whose test result was 'inconclusive'. He said: 'I couldn’t bear it if we lost him.' He also revealed that the cow believed to have caused the outbreak is pregnant with twins.
Bovine TB is a chronic respiratory disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis, which can also infect other mammals such as badgers and deer. Routine skin testing every six months is mandatory for UK farms. Human risk is very low due to pasteurisation and meat inspection protocols.
The outbreak highlights ongoing challenges for UK farming. As of March 2025, government data showed thousands of new TB herd incidents annually in Great Britain. Control measures include test-and-cull regimes and, in some areas, badger vaccination trials, which have shown promising results in reducing infection rates.
