Jeremy Clarkson’s warning that the final episodes of Clarkson’s Farm would be “a difficult watch” turned out to be far more serious than many viewers expected.
The Prime Video series, one of the platform’s biggest unscripted hits, follows the former Top Gear host as he tries to run Diddly Squat Farm in the Cotswolds, alongside farm manager Kaleb Cooper, land agent Charlie Ireland and the rest of the team.
Season five of the show arrived in June in a three-part rollout, with the final two episodes released today (June 17). Prime Video had already flagged that the new series would include a major health scare for Clarkson, but the full extent of it became clear only once the latest episodes landed.
During a conversation with Charlie Ireland and Kaleb Cooper, Clarkson, 66, revealed that he has cancer. He said the disease was “aggressive” but had been caught early. In the finale, he indicated that it was prostate cancer and explained that treatment was due to begin soon.
Clarkson also said that he had already known something was wrong since May, after an earlier medical scare led to further tests and hospital treatment. He told viewers the news had come as a shock, even though doctors had given him an early diagnosis and a treatment plan.
Before the final episodes were released, Clarkson posted a video on Instagram warning fans that the closing instalments were not the show’s usual “bucolic and charming” fare.
“Hello, everybody. I’ve got some good news and some somber news,” he began the video. “Good news is that Hawksdon has finally had an advert accepted and it’ll be shown just before kick-off in the England match tomorrow evening.”
Hawksdon is the lager and cider brewery Clarkson co-owns.
“Somber news: 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… They’re none of those things, really.”
“They’re a difficult watch. They’re really, really difficult.”
Season five has otherwise followed a turbulent year at Diddly Squat, with Clarkson juggling farm setbacks, a packed pub schedule at The Farmer’s Dog, and the pressures of keeping the operation running while weather, livestock and bureaucracy all cause problems at once.
Clarkson’s health has also been a recurring talking point this year. He previously revealed that he underwent a heart procedure in 2024 after doctors warned he was close to a heart attack, and he has spoken openly about the strain of balancing farm work, business pressures and age-related health concerns.
Since the latest episodes went live, many fans of Clarkson’s Farm have responded with messages of support for the presenter.
“As a survivor of the big C when I was a teenager, I know it’s going to be tough for @jeremyclarkson1 but if there was ever a man strong enough to beat it, it’s Clarkson.”
“Just seen the news jeremy, thoughts are with you and I hope your doing okay!! Sending love and happiness to you and diddly squat!!”
“You can beat it,” added somebody else. “Sending you all the well wishes and prayers from the states.”
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.