Jeremy Clarkson has made a "particularly difficult" admission about his memory after reflecting on the story of a zookeeper living with a rare neurological condition. The 66-year-old presenter said it "could be worse" as he compared his own struggles to those of Jenny Parry, a Scarborough zookeeper who has hyperfamiliarity for faces (HFF).
Clarkson's Memory Struggles
Writing in The Sun, Clarkson admitted that he has trouble recognising people's faces, which often leads to awkward encounters. He said: "It could be worse, though. She could have my problem which is: I can't remember anyone's face at all. If the police ever ask me to draw up a photofit picture of a criminal I've seen, his boat will look like the full moon."
Clarkson explained that this has become increasingly difficult as his fame has grown. "Because it means that when someone comes up to me on the street, I don't know whether they've seen me on television or whether I've known them for 50 years," he wrote. He added that he might "cut good friends dead" or offer complete strangers a "warm matey embrace."
Health Update After Heart Scare
This revelation follows a health scare that was shown in a trailer for the upcoming series of Clarkson's Farm. The trailer depicted Clarkson being rushed to hospital in an ambulance due to a heart problem. Speaking on Heart Breakfast, host Jamie Theakston noted that Clarkson "looks very well" despite the "couple of health scares."
Clarkson responded: "Yes, it's fat jabs. I look like a Lowry painting. It was quite a fraught year last year, but no. I'm absolutely fine now. Tickety-boo."
The heart issues began in 2024 when an artery became "completely blocked." He underwent heart surgery and had a stent fitted. The surgery will be featured in the new series of Clarkson's Farm, which launches on Prime Video on June 3. In the trailer, Clarkson tells Kaleb Cooper: "You've got three arteries that feed your heart to keep it pumping. My heart wasn't getting any blood."
Reflections on Farming
Discussing the new series, Clarkson remarked: "It gets more and more dramatic towards the end. I'll say no more than that because we're not actually doing any PR for this series at all." He reflected on his initial perception of farming, saying: "I thought farming when I first started, what, seven years ago, you just drive around in a Range Rover, went to the pub occasionally and moaned about the weather and then in February went skiing." However, he added that once he "started doing it," he found the profession "unbelievably difficult."
