Jeremy Clarkson has revealed that the first calf born on his Diddly Squat farm has been destroyed after contracting bovine tuberculosis (TB).
The Clarkson’s Farm star, 65, shared the news on Instagram alongside a photo of the animal, explaining it was pregnant with twins when it tested positive for the infectious disease.
“This was the first calf ever born at Diddly Squat,” he wrote. “And this morning she was destroyed, while pregnant with twins, because she has TB. So sad.”
Messages of support quickly poured in from fans of his hit Prime Video series, with one recalling “the joy and excitement” of the calf’s birth and another urging: “Please give this man and this farm and the animals a break.”
Clarkson’s 1,000-acre Oxfordshire holding has faced a series of challenges since he took over in 2019. In the summer, he revealed that his herd was under TB restrictions and that he was “locked down” while awaiting retests.
Speaking on Times Radio at the time, he said: “You have a test every six months on the cows and then you sort of become blasé — it’s a hypothetical threat. And then the vet looks up and says, ‘I’m really sorry, this one’s failed.’ It’s just dreadful.”
Bovine TB, which can spread between cattle and badgers, leads to tens of thousands of animals being culled across Britain each year. According to government data, more than 21,000 were killed in England between April 2024 and March this year.
Clarkson has previously spoken about the emotional toll of losing livestock and his frustration at the disease, once describing the animals responsible for spreading it as “b*****d badgers”.
The former Top Gear and The Grand Tour presenter bought Diddly Squat Farm in 2008 but only began running it himself after the previous farmer’s retirement. The venture has since been documented in Clarkson’s Farm, which has earned him both praise and sympathy for showing the harsh realities of rural life.
Despite the loss, he told followers he remains committed to farming — even if, as he once admitted, “I’m not enjoying it this week.”
Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that his right-hand man Kaleb Cooper will be stepping out his shadow and into the spotlight after landing his own show on Prime Video.
The Hawkstone Farmers’ Choir, which Clarkson helped to mastermind, also left the Britain’s Got Talent judges in tears following their audition earlier this week.
