Jeremy Clarkson said he is not following a strict healthy diet after revealing he is in remission after treatment for an aggressive form of prostate cancer.
The Clarkson’s Farm presenter discussed the all-clear during a new interview with The Times.
Jeremy, 66, said doctors found the cancer during his annual prostate check. He was unwell for only a short period before choosing treatment.
Jeremy Clarkson chose minimally invasive cancer treatment
Doctors offered several treatment plans, and Jeremy selected HIFU. The minimally invasive procedure uses high-frequency sound waves to heat and destroy targeted cancer cells.
He went into hospital, received anaesthetic and was able to return to his tractor two weeks later.
The speed of that turnaround did not erase the emotional strain. He said telling his children about the diagnosis was “not nice”.
The broadcaster disclosed his diagnosis during the final two episodes of Clarkson’s Farm’s fifth season. He told co-stars Charlie and Kaleb Cooper while they were discussing plans for the harvest.
At the time, he explained the cancer was aggressive but had been found early. Treatment would interrupt the harvest during a crucial period.
The scene showed Jeremy struggling to stay composed. His colleagues appeared shaken, and Kaleb offered his support.
Jeremy refuses to give up life’s pleasures
The all-clear has not persuaded Jeremy to follow a rigid diet indefinitely. Asked whether he would stick to low-fat, protein-rich eating, his answer was a blunt “No”.
He argued healthier choices must be balanced with enjoyment, including the food and drink he values.
“The truth is, there has to be some joy in life as well,” he said.
“And not drinking and not eating a pork chop means there is less joy in life. And I haven’t worked my [bleep] off for 40 years to have no joy in my old age. So I’m having joy in my old age,” Jeremy continued.
However, his habits have changed in several ways. He said he now walks more and has been eating more vegetarian food.
He previously linked those changes to wanting more time with his two grandchildren. Jeremy has also lost two stone, which he credited to Mounjaro rather than willpower.
On Clarkson’s Farm, his girlfriend Lisa Hogan encouraged healthier choices, including Greek yoghurt.
His recovery period was not entirely straightforward. At the end of June, Jeremy was taken to hospital following a medication issue.
He said it happened after he restarted blood-thinning medicine without his doctor’s approval. Jeremy had stopped that medicine during his cancer treatment.
Jeremy backs prostate cancer screening appeal
Jeremy has also added his name to an appeal concerning prostate cancer screening in Britain.
Sir Stephen Fry, Lord David Cameron and Rishi Sunak were among the other signatories.
They asked Health Secretary Yvette Cooper to reconsider restrictions recommended by the UK National Screening Committee.
The recommendation covered 1,500 men aged 45 to 61 with a particular mutation and relevant family history.
The signatories argued that other high-risk men should also receive guaranteed access to testing. They said no man should die from cancer that could have been caught in time.
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