Jeremy Clarkson breaks down over Diddly Squat farm eviction

Jeremy Clarkson was in tears as he was forced to say a “hard goodbye” during the new series of Clarkson’s Farm.

The programme followed the former Top Gear presenter’s attempts to run Diddly Squat Farm, a 1,000‑acre holding near Chipping Norton in the Cotswolds.

Viewers also see the day‑to‑day realities of modern agriculture through local characters, including contractor Kaleb Cooper and land agent Charlie Ireland. Filmed on location in West Oxfordshire, the show has helped turn Diddly Squat into a tourist attraction and sparked national debate about farming policy. The fifth series of Clarkson’s Farm was released on Prime Video this week.

Four new episodes were released today (Wednesday, June 3), and Mr Clarkson had to make a tough choice at the end of the fourth episode. The 66-year-old, who has often described his pigs as his favourite part of life at Diddly Squat, has been forced to part with the animals after facing up to the economics of the farm. A butcher warned him that the herd was not yielding enough meat to make financial sense, leaving Mr Clarkson with little option but to let them go, a decision that clearly hit him hard.

By the end of episode four, he explained to viewers that he had a task he was “dreading” because his much‑loved pigs were failing to produce sufficient meat. He admitted, “I had known there was only one option”.

He told land agent Mr Ireland, “I love the pigs, I have absolutely… I have just been delighted every day I’m down there. “They make my heart sing, I’m so happy. But we are running a business here, and they make no financial sense at all.” All of the pigs ultimately had to be sent away.

“The difference this time, though, is that there would be no new piglets to replace them,” he reinforced. Mr Clarkson appeared visibly shaken as the animals were loaded into a trailer ready to leave the farm, and “in tears”, as reported by several publications.

“It was even harder to say goodbye to the next group,” he added, noting that this batch included one of the original sows they had bought three years earlier.

“It’s for the better good,” Mr Cooper assured him, to which Mr Clarkson replied: “It’s still f****** sad.” The trailer driver, Jess, further noted, “As long as you cry once I’ve left. I’m not going to cry. Are you sure?” she asked.