Jeremy Clarkson has revealed that he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer last summer and underwent an operation to remove 10% of his prostate. This news comes eight months after he had heart surgery for blocked coronary arteries.
Clarkson's Farm Series 5 Finale
In the final two episodes of the fifth series of his Prime Video documentary, Clarkson's Farm, the 66-year-old presenter informed his farm manager, Kaleb Cooper, and land agent, Charlie Ireland, of his diagnosis. The scenes, filmed last year, were released on Tuesday night.
The former Top Gear host stated: 'I had a medical, remember, back in May? I disappeared off the other week and I had a biopsy and it is cancer, and it's aggressive.' He admitted he 'wasn't thrilled' but noted it was caught at a 'really early stage'.
He added: 'If I hadn't have got myself checked out and they hadn't caught the problem early, this could well have been my last harvest. It's only because they did catch it early, there's every hope that I'll be harvesting this farm for many, many years to come.'
When Cooper asked about the cancer type, Clarkson replied: 'Where it is, is of no concern to anybody.' However, later scenes after his procedure revealed it was in his prostate. 'The prostate, 10% of it's dead. The 10% where the cancer is,' he said.
The series ends with Clarkson in a hospital bed, referencing his earlier heart operation: 'So we started season five in a hospital bed and here we are at the end of season five, I'm back in a hospital bed. Some of the treatment has gone awry, let's say. I'll probably be here for a little while.'
He told viewers: 'What I wanted to say was: if this is all successful, I'll see you for season six. And if it isn't, I won't. Take care, everyone.'
Social Media Warning
On Tuesday evening, Clarkson warned fans on social media of 'sombre news' regarding Clarkson's Farm. 'Ordinarily we try to keep the show bucolic and charming and cheerful. But the final two episodes which drop in the middle of the night tonight are none of those things, really – they're a difficult watch.' He sounded emotional as he added: 'They're really, really difficult.'
Charity Response
Following the episodes' release, Prostate Cancer UK thanked Clarkson for sharing his diagnosis, saying it would raise 'vital awareness'. Chiara De Biase, the charity's fundraising and health strategy director, said: 'Thankfully he found the disease at an early stage, but sadly this is still not the experience of many men across the UK.'
She added: 'Over 10,000 dads, brothers, sons and friends are diagnosed too late for a cure every year, and today the responsibility to know if you're at higher risk and to act on it rest entirely on men's shoulders. This must change.'
Prostate cancer accounts for 28% of all new male cancer cases in the UK, according to Cancer Research UK. Last June, Clarkson urged men to get prostate checkups, saying: 'I've had too many friends go down with prostate cancer, and all it takes to get on top of the situation early is a moment or two of being a bit cross-eyed.'
There is no national NHS screening programme for prostate cancer, but men aged 50 or over, or those aged 45 or older with a strong family history or of Black or African-Caribbean ethnicity, can request a PSA blood test from their GP.
