Television mainstay Jeremy Clarkson has confessed to feeling "genuinely frightened" as he prepares to step away from filming for his first significant break in four decades.
A Daunting Prospect for a TV Veteran
The 65-year-old presenter, famed for his roles on Top Gear and The Grand Tour, will not be in front of the cameras from the start of next year until at least March 2026. This three-month hiatus marks his first such pause in a relentless 40-year television career.
Clarkson made the revelation while speaking at the launch event for Millionaire Hot Seat, a new spin-off of ITV's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? which he hosts and which is set to debut in 2026. He bluntly described the upcoming period as "three months of s***," highlighting his apprehension about life away from a filming schedule.
Farm Life and Final Season Drama
When not on television, Clarkson's focus shifts to Diddly Squat Farm, the 1,000-acre Oxfordshire holding he purchased in 2008 and began running himself in 2019. The agricultural venture's struggles and successes are documented in the hit Prime Video series Clarkson's Farm.
The show has been a financial lifeline for the business, especially after what Clarkson termed a "disastrous" harvest. He previously noted on social media that while such crises make for compelling television, "most farms don't have TV shows to keep them going."
The fifth season of the series is scheduled for release in 2026 and will be the last for the foreseeable future, as Clarkson takes his filming break. This final season for now is expected to be the most emotional yet, featuring an outbreak of bovine tuberculosis on the Cotswolds farm.
What's Next for Clarkson on Screen?
Despite the break, Clarkson's slate remains full upon his return. ITV has commissioned a significant run of his quiz show endeavours, including:
- 18 episodes of the new half-hour format, Millionaire Hot Seat.
- 19 new episodes of the flagship Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? programme.
- 7 celebrity specials of the main quiz.
This ensures that while the farmer from Chipping Norton is taking a well-earned and nerve-wracking pause from his day job, viewers haven't seen the last of him on their screens.
