Clarkson’s Farm has become one of the biggest TV hits of the decade, but it hasn’t always been plain sailing for former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson, who swapped his luxurious lifestyle in London six years ago. years to manage a 1,000-acre farm.
The TV presenter tackled crop failures, adverse weather conditions, the threat of bovine tuberculosis and battles with local planning officials in the award-winning mini-series showcasing the day-to-day running of Diddly Squat Farm.
And with season three on the way, audiences can expect more of the same from Clarkson, 63, his farming sidekick Kaleb Cooper, Gerald Cooper and Charlie Ireland.
Speaking to The Times, the motoring journalist said: “Behind the scenes, everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong.”
Extreme weather destroyed his spring potatoes and barley, while his plan to replace tractors with hovercraft to spray crops proved a costly disaster.
Coupled with inflation driving up the prices of supplies, Clarkson’s dreams for his beloved restaurant were also dashed.
His instincts tell him to challenge bureaucracy, he told the Times, in the same way as Kevin Costner’s tough rancher in the TV series Yellowstone. And it appears he has found a powerful ally in Rishi Sunak.
Jeremy Clarkson, 63 (pictured), is embarking on a new adventure by becoming a pig farmer in the upcoming series of Clarkson’s Farm.
The Diddly Squat Farm store (pictured), which temporarily closed its doors during the winter months, has now reopened for the summer.
The highly anticipated new third series of Clarkson’s Farm finally has a release date (Jeremy Clarkson pictured with Kaleb and a piglet)
The farm store was featured heavily in Prime Video’s hit original miniseries, Clarkson’s Farm.
Last May, Kaleb was invited to Downing Street to meet Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to discuss the challenges facing farmers, as well as how to attract more young people into the industry.
The Prime Minister said at the time: “I will always support British farmers and pay tribute to their hard work and dedication throughout the year, which keeps shelves stocked and food on our shelves. tables.
“Supporting our farmers and food producers must and always will be at the heart of our plans to grow the economy and build a more prosperous country.
“That’s why I’m proud to host this summit and, working together, I’m determined to build resilience, strengthen our food security and champion the best of British people at home and abroad.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (right) talks to Kaleb Cooper (left) and Charlie Ireland, who are playing at Clarkson’s Farm as they attend the Farm to Fork Summit in May 2023.
The three attended the Farm to Fork summit in the gardens of 10 Downing Street.
The summit followed last year’s announcement that farmers would benefit from greater protections in future trade deals as part of a package aimed at putting “more British produce on food shelves and plates”. supermarkets”.
Downing Street said the Government’s initiatives, as well as putting more emphasis on farmers’ interests during international trade negotiations, include reviewing supply chains to ensure producers get a fair deal and make processing easier. of their properties into agricultural stores.
Clarkson is still at war with West Oxfordshire District Council, which closed his restaurant and refused parking for his store, but it now appears the tide could be turning in his favor.
A government-backed rule change, dubbed ‘Clarkson’s Law’, will mean farmers will no longer need to seek permission from local councils to reuse farm buildings, making it easier for them to sell their produce to the public .
The first images show the TV personality, 63, reuniting with his farming sidekick and Cotswold native Kaleb Cooper, Gerald Cooper and Cheerful Charlie Ireland, as well as his girlfriend Lisa and the rest of the Diddly Squat gang (pictured LR Gerald, Charlie , Lisa, Kaleb and Jeremy)
Clarkson said he was pleased with the news, but told the Times that agriculture was still overregulated.
He said: “If you apply for a grant you have to fill in 2,000 forms and wait 2,000 years for a man to come in a rented Vauxhall and tell you you have to stop what you’re doing because he’s found a bat or a little moss.
There will be even more of the usual mayhem in the third season of the TV series, which will see Clarkson channeling his inner Robert De Niro with a shotgun, taking medicinal mushrooms and also crashing farm machinery into stone walls.
As well as some recognizable faces, the series will also introduce some new ones, as Jeremy welcomes a herd of pigs to his Chadlington farm and enters the world of pig farming.
Audiences can expect more authentic and unexpected trials and tribulations as Jeremy and his band of farmers embark on the latest task, having previously taken in a herd of cows and a colony of bees to make his honey “bee juice”.
The former Top Gear host has filed new plans to build a huge 118ft long by 59ft wide barn to store grain on the site near Chadlington, Oxfordshire.
Jeremy urgently needs to find new, creative ways to make ends meet, so he hatches a plan to take advantage of hundreds of acres of uncultivated land – thick forests and hedgerows that make up half of the Diddly Squat.
This triggers an avalanche of projects developed by Clarkson, involving everything from goats and pigs to mushrooms, nettles and deer.
Production on a fourth series of the series has also begun.
Meanwhile, the Diddly Squat Farm store announced on Facebook that it would be closing its doors for the next few months while adding that products would still be available to purchase online.
It came as Jeremy launched a planning battle after submitting new proposals for an “urgent” storage barn at Chipping Norton Farm.
Jeremy was forced to close his restaurant on Diddly Squat Farm last year after receiving an enforcement notice from the local council – with residents saying the establishment was causing heavy traffic.
Devastated fans took to social media to share their disappointment at the store’s closure. One wrote: “Absolutely gutted, you’re closed, booked a holiday for a few days this week, from Lincoln to nearby Diddly Squat Farm Shop to finally be able to visit.” I guess I’ll have to take another vacation.
The store reopened on March 1, but following heavy downpours, the usual crowds were noticeably absent.
Season 3 of Clarkson’s Farm will land on Prime Video on May 3, the streaming service announced in February.
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