Jeremy Clarkson Gives Candid Health Update After Life-Saving Heart Surgery
Jeremy Clarkson has revealed new details about his health just months after undergoing urgent, life-saving heart surgery in October.
The Clarkson’s Farm and former Top Gear presenter, 64, said doctors told him he was “maybe days away from death” due to severe arterial blockages.
A Scare That Started Suddenly
While on holiday, Clarkson noticed he couldn’t swim a short distance without feeling as if he was “mostly dead,” joking that he had “more water in my lungs than Lake Superior.”
Soon after, he struggled to climb a flight of stairs without assistance.
“All these problems manifested themselves in one day,” he told The Sunday Times.
Diagnosis: Two Arteries Blocked
Medical tests—including an ECG—confirmed he wasn’t having a heart attack, but something worse was looming.
Clarkson wrote that one artery was completely blocked and a second was nearly closed, putting him at imminent risk.
Doctors inserted a stent through his wrist, avoiding the need for emergency bypass surgery. Clarkson described the procedure as “odd rather than painful.”
A New Lifestyle
While filming Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, Clarkson updated fans on his recovery:
- He’s now walking less due to rest during filming.
- He’s eating “far fewer sausages” and “just celery.”
- He feels significantly better on his new diet.
He also revealed he’s been working with a dietician who advised him to avoid processed foods:
“If it’s got more than one ingredient in it, don’t eat it.”
Clarkson says he now feels “great” after adopting the changes.
Motivation to Take His Symptoms Seriously
Clarkson admits the sudden decline frightened him—particularly following the recent heart-attack death of public figure Alex Salmond.
That fear ultimately prompted him to seek immediate medical help that likely saved his life.
