Chris Packham has fired back at Jeremy Clarkson, accusing the former Top Gear presenter of being 'disingenuous' and part of a group of 'industrial farmers' concealing the true horrors of modern farming. The Springwatch host's fresh attack comes as their ongoing public feud over Clarkson's Farm intensifies.
Packham's Gogglebox Criticism
During an appearance on Celebrity Gogglebox alongside his stepdaughter Megan McCubbin, Packham criticised Clarkson's portrayal of farming in his hit Amazon series, which has run for five seasons and follows Clarkson's journey running Diddly Squat Farm. Packham claimed the show gives viewers the 'wrong idea' about farming, stating: 'Already, right, that's not what a farm looks like. Most farms are horrible monocultures, which have been sprayed with deadly chemicals time and time again. The ground is pumped full of fertiliser, and loads of the animals are indoors in crates, being crushed and kept in the dark.' He added: 'That's an idealistic view of a farm, and it puts the wrong idea in people's minds. And that's only the titles!'
Social Media Spat
The row escalated last week when Packham took to Instagram, sharing statistics about the UK's farming industry with the caption: 'Tell me @jeremyclarkson1, is it really all happy smiley down on the farm?' Clarkson responded by dismissing Packham's comments as 'b******s', prompting a strongly worded retort from the naturalist.
Packham told us: 'Clarkson is being disingenuous and the industrial farmers are making a smokescreen to hide their horrors. I made the comments about the silly idealistic stereotyped cartoon at the top of his programme, he knows that.' He accused Clarkson of presenting 'an entirely unrealistic image of most of UK farms', adding: 'The industrial farming fraternity love Clarkson's Farm because it gives them something pretty to hide behind, a friendly flagship of good ol' wholesome values.'
Packham's Broader Concerns
Packham emphasised the need for truth in farming for the sake of animal welfare, wildlife, human health, and a secure environmental future. He concluded: 'They can shoot at the messenger, but they will not silence the truth, even if Jezza has a big mouth.'
Clarkson's Defence
In his column for The Sun, Clarkson described Packham as 'endlessly angry' and claimed the naturalist had visited Diddly Squat Farm in 2012 without raising any concerns. Clarkson wrote: '[He] erupted in blind fury about the Winnie the Pooh-ish opening credits to my farming programme. No, Chris. It's a drawing.' Responding to Packham's claims about monocultures and chemicals, Clarkson said: 'It's bs. And Chris knows it's bs because, back in 2012, he came to Diddly Squat and spent the day in our woods, foraging and bird watching. If there had been some animals in a crate, being crushed, I'm sure he would have noticed and said something.'
However, in a follow-up column for The Times, Clarkson admitted he 'should have kept schtum' after launching into the rant.
