Jeremy Clarkson is in remission from prostate cancer, he confirmed this weekend — days after the Amazon Prime Video series Clarkson’s Farm delivered one of its most dramatic finales yet.
The former Top Gear presenter underwent a heart procedure during the first episode of Season 5, while the season concluded with the bombshell of his cancer diagnosis. He revealed to his Diddly Squat colleagues Charlie Ireland and Kaleb Cooper that he had contracted an “aggressive” cancer, at the time not disclosing its location. He has now confirmed it was prostate cancer.
In a video posted to Instagram, Clarkson addressed the news with characteristic directness. “Now, the more observant among you will have noticed that I’m not dead,” he said. “And I’m not just not dead, I’m perfectly fine. My eyebrows, in particular, are looking very lustrous, and the reason why I’m fine is because the doctors caught it early, and they caught it early because I got tested.”
The treatment was not without serious complications — including a catheter and a later incident in which he mistakenly took blood-thinning medication intended for his heart. In the Season 5 finale, filmed from a hospital bed, he left viewers with an open-ended message: “Some of the treatment has gone awry, let’s say. I’m going to be here for a little while … If this is all successful, I’ll see you for season 6. And if it isn’t, I won’t.” He told The Sunday Times the complication was “beyond Defcon 1 on the pain scale” and “all my own fault.”
In the same Sunday Times interview, Clarkson reflected on the stakes of the diagnosis. “It was an aggressive type of cancer,” he said. “It could have spread, it could have gone into the pancreas, it could have gone anywhere, and that would have been trouble.” Between the heart scare and the cancer, he said he had “cheated death twice,” adding: “I am without a doubt, officially, the world’s luckiest man.”
A prostate test two months ago showed no indication of cancer. He must continue with regular blood tests to monitor his situation. He used the platform to push directly for male screening, telling viewers that even if their doctor declines to test them, they should lie about having symptoms — noting that 12,000 men die from prostate cancer in the UK every year. Season 6 of Clarkson’s Farm is already in production.
