Jeremy Clarkson has disclosed he is "genuinely scared" as an unforeseen danger threatens this year's harvest at Diddly Squat Farm. The former Top Gear host explained that, after years of worrying about crops being too damp to harvest, he is now confronting the reverse issue. With bone-dry conditions increasing the fire risk, Clarkson worries a single ember could destroy months of labour within minutes.
Harvest threatened by dry grain
Writing in his column for The Sun, the 66-year-old said: "Since I started farming seven years ago, the harvest has always been a nail-biting affair because you have to stop when the grain is too wet. Drizzle, dew and even humidity can halt proceedings for days. This year, though, I have a new problem. The grain is too dry."
He added: "It's Thursday as I write this and I should be out there in the tractor, but I'm stuck. And genuinely scared. Because all it would take is a discarded cigarette end, or the spark from a piece of faulty equipment and in a matter of moments, my whole crop would be turned into ash. A year's work, literally, up in smoke."
Recent cancer diagnosis and recovery
Clarkson's most recent farming worries emerge just weeks after he disclosed he had been diagnosed with an "aggressive" form of prostate cancer during the latest series of Clarkson's Farm. The condition was identified early, and he has since confirmed he is now in remission following a recent PSA test which showed no signs of cancer.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, Clarkson admitted the diagnosis had affected him more profoundly than he anticipated. He said: "I've seen so many people die of cancer. It doesn't bear thinking about what it must be like to live knowing that an illness is going to kill you. It must be very, very, very distressing. I don't know the history of what happened to (former Olympic cyclist) Chris Hoy, but to be told your cancer is inoperable and to still carry on, you'd have to be incredibly brave."
Medical crisis after blood-thinner mistake
The television personality also revealed that he suffered a serious medical crisis after resuming blood-thinning medication without consulting a doctor following his cancer surgery. Speaking from a hospital bed during the Clarkson's Farm season finale, he explained that complications emerged after he restarted medication he had previously been prescribed for heart and vascular conditions.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Clarkson said: "That was horrific and it was all my own fault. I'd been on drugs for heart issues and I had to come off them during the cancer treatment. Two or three weeks after the cancer operation, I thought I'd better put myself back on those blood thinners. Big mistake, huge. It (resulted in) a very big emergency in the middle of the night. I'm not even going to go into the treatment that was required as a result of that, because it was horrible. I didn't ask a doctor, I just thought, 'I'm sure it will be all right to go back on blood thinners'."
Impact on public awareness
Clarkson's prostate cancer diagnosis came nearly two years after he underwent a cardiac procedure during which surgeons inserted two stents to boost blood flow. At the time, he disclosed that doctors had recommended he stop working and take up golf instead. His choice to speak openly about his cancer has also had a considerable impact beyond his personal health. According to Prostate Cancer UK, more than 50,000 people completed the charity's online risk checker in the week following Clarkson's announcement - a 640% increase compared with a typical week and the highest figure recorded since February 2025.
