Jeremy Clarkson reveals aggressive cancer diagnosis in 'Clarkson's Farm' finale

The announcement

Jeremy Clarkson, the 66-year-old former 'Top Gear' presenter, revealed he has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer during the final episodes of the fifth season of 'Clarkson's Farm', released on Amazon Prime Video on Wednesday. The news came in episode seven of the series, where Clarkson informed farmhands Kaleb Cooper and Charlie Ireland that he would not be able to help with the upcoming harvest.

When Cooper asked whether he was going away, Clarkson replied directly: "I've got cancer." He did not specify the exact type of cancer in the episode, though The Independent reported it as prostate cancer. Clarkson described the tumour as "aggressive" but added that it was caught "really early."

I disappeared off the other week and I had a biopsy, and it is cancer, and it's aggressive, but it's really early.

Medical timeline

Clarkson told his colleagues he had known about the diagnosis since May. He said he would begin treatment in approximately two to three weeks and expected to be out of action for a while. The series later showed him in a hospital bed, where he disclosed that part of the treatment had gone awry.

According to 20 Minuten, Clarkson reported that ten percent of his prostate was treated during an ultrasound procedure, targeting the area where the cancer was located. The BBC noted that a portion of his prostate had been removed as part of his treatment. Clarkson said he would need to undergo an operation, describing it as quick in itself but requiring recovery time.

I'll have to go and have an operation and then, the operation is in and out in no time, but your body's out of action for a little while.

A pattern of health concerns

The cancer diagnosis follows a heart procedure Clarkson underwent in October 2024, which was discussed in the opening episode of the same series. At the time, he wrote in his Sunday Times column that one of the arteries feeding his heart was completely blocked and a second was heading that way. He was fitted with a stent to restore blood flow.

Of the arteries feeding my heart with nourishing blood, one was completely blocked and the second of three was heading that way.

Doctors had warned him, he said, that he would need to cut back a large portion of his work and reduce his cholesterol levels. The Sunday Times reported that doctors believed he could have had only days before his condition deteriorated significantly.

Looking ahead

From his hospital bed, Clarkson addressed the future of the series. He said that if the next round of treatment was successful, viewers would see him in a sixth season, and if not, they would not. He ended with a message to take care of themselves.

If everything goes well, I'll see you for season six. And if not, then not. Take care of yourselves.

Before the episodes aired, Clarkson posted a video on Instagram warning fans that the final two instalments would be difficult to watch. He said the series normally aimed to be charming and cheerful, but these episodes were neither.