Health
Jeremy Clarkson reveals 'aggressive' cancer diagnosis
Key Points
British television star Jeremy Clarkson has been diagnosed with an "aggressive" form of prostate cancer. The former Top Gear host shared the news on an episode of his Clarkson's Farm reality series, filmed shortly before he underwent surgery. Clarkson says while he caught the cancer early, his treatment has since gone "awry" and he is unsure if he will be around for a sixth season of his show.
British television star Jeremy Clarkson has been diagnosed with an "aggressive" form of prostate cancer.
The former Top Gear host shared the news on an episode of his Clarkson's Farm reality series, filmed shortly before he underwent surgery.
What's next?
Clarkson says while he caught the cancer early, his treatment has since gone "awry" and he is unsure if he will be around for a sixth season of his show.
Jeremy Clarkson, a former host of the BBC's wildly successful Top Gear franchise, says he has been diagnosed with an "aggressive" form of prostate cancer.
The British TV star shared the news on an episode of his reality show, Clarkson's Farm, during a conversation with his coworkers, farm manager Charlie Ireland and farmhand Kaleb Cooper.
After being told the farmers would need to begin harvesting crops at the end of July, Clarkson leaned back and simply replied, "F***."
"I've got cancer," he said.
As his coworkers expressed their disbelief, Clarkson told them he had known about the diagnosis since May, and had since had a biopsy which confirmed it was aggressive.
"But it's really early, so the treatment 'll be … you know," he said, indicating he was hopeful of a positive outcome.
He went on to reassure Ireland and Cooper he would not delay treatment, despite admitting he had been "praying" they could finish the harvest before his surgery.
After first telling his co-stars it was "of no concern of anybody" where his cancer was located, Clarkson later confirmed he had surgery to remove "10 per cent" of his prostate.
But while the controversial host appeared to be upbeat about his prospects, the series ended with him being rushed to hospital after suffering complications.
"Some of the treatment has gone awry, let's say. I'm going to be here for a little while," he said.
"If this is all successful, I'll see you for season six. And if it isn't, I won't."
This latest episode is not the first health scare for Clarkson, 66, who also underwent urgent heart surgery in October 2024 after experiencing tightness in his chest.
A doctor told him he was perhaps days away from suffering a heart attack due to blocked arteries.
Diagnosis becomes increasingly common
Clarkson's prostate cancer diagnosis makes him one of more than 64,000 men who will be diagnosed with the disease in the UK this year, a diagnosis rate which continues to increase.
One in eight UK men will be diagnosed in their lifetime, according to Prostate Cancer UK.
The disease is even more prevalent in Australia, where one in five men can expect to be diagnosed with prostate cancer by the age of 85.
Another cast member on Clarkson's Farm, 77-year-old Gerald Cooper, was also recently diagnosed with prostate cancer, telling his story on the show's third season in 2024.
Jokingly nicknamed the farm's "head of security", Cooper has since made a full recovery.