Jeremy Clarkson has been forced to cull the first calf born on his Diddly Squat farm after an outbreak of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) struck the Oxfordshire holding. The calf, which was pregnant with twins, was destroyed after contracting the disease earlier this summer.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, the Clarkson's Farm star expressed his sadness over the loss, describing the animal as 'the first calf ever born on Diddly Squat'. The 1,000-acre farm is the backdrop for Clarkson's hugely popular Prime Video series, which documents his journey as a novice farmer.
The bTB outbreak is the latest setback for Diddly Squat, which has already endured a challenging year of climate-driven disasters. Earlier in 2025, Clarkson described the harvest as 'shocking' due to heatwaves and drought, calling it the 'worst year ever' for the farm.
Bovine TB is a chronic respiratory disease caused by Mycobacterium bovis, which can also infect badgers, deer, goats and pigs. It is considered the biggest challenge facing the farming industry, with 22,934 cows killed in England between October 2021 and September 2022 due to the disease.
The government has faced criticism over its approach to controlling bTB, with a 2022 'landmark' report finding that badger culling did not significantly reduce cattle TB levels. Despite this, officials approved a fresh round of culling in June 2025, which was later scrapped after a policy review. Last year, 10,769 badgers were killed, bringing the 12-year total to around 240,000.
Clarkson, who bought the farm in 2008 and began running it in 2019, has suggested that the upcoming fifth series of Clarkson's Farm may be its last, citing the need for a 'bloody good story' to continue.
