Jeremy Clarkson says ‘it’s unbelievably difficult’ as he reveals downside to career move

Clarkson’s Farm star Jeremy Clarkson opened up about the harsh realities and financial struggles of farming while showing his support for Britain’s Got Talent act the Hawkstone Farmers Choir

Jeremy Clarkson has reflected on his early misconceptions about farming and explained why supporting farmers matters more than ever. The 66-year-old shifted his focus to agriculture roughly seven years ago, a transition documented in his popular series Clarkson’s Farm, which returns for its fifth season next month.

The presenter is championing one of this year’s Britain’s Got Talent acts, The Hawkstone Farmers Choir, who are scheduled to take to the stage this weekend.

The group, made up of farmers from across the country, was originally formed during rehearsals for a series of adverts promoting Jeremy’s Hawkstone beer.

They have since captured attention through the ITV talent competition, where they secured Amanda Holden’s golden buzzer following an emotional performance of One Day Like This by Elbow.

Ahead of this weekend’s fifth semi-final, choir members Katrina and Ben featured on Heart Radio Breakfast with Amanda and Jamie Theakston, before receiving a surprise appearance from Jeremy via video link.

Speaking to the former Top Gear presenter, Jamie noted the choir had spotlighted the “bigger cause” surrounding farming, adding: “A lot of farmers feel isolated and it’s important that we get behind them and support them right?”.

In response, Jeremy reflected on how demanding his transition from television into agriculture had been. “I couldn’t agree more,” he said. “I thought farming, when I started seven years ago, you just drove around in a Range Rover, went to the pub occasionally, moaned about the weather and then in February, you went skiing.

“It’s unbelievably difficult and I’m lucky because I’ve often got a film crew here so there’s a lot of people but, when there isn’t a film crew here, you start to realise, ‘I’m all on my own’, literally all day, six in the morning until midnight, all day on my own.

“And then you think, ‘Oh god there’s no money coming in’, because there isn’t. And then you think, ‘Well what if you’re an actual proper farmer?’, like these guys are and all other people in the choir.

“You worry about money, you’ve got no one to talk to, you’re on your own, it’s not like most people who work in an office or a shop or a factory, these guys are on their own worrying all day long that the weather’s not right, that another subsidy has gone and they are being forced to grow bird food rather than human food.”