Jeremy Clarkson reveals his puppy died and Diddly Squat farm will have to ‘lock down’ for two months after TB outbreak
Jeremy Clarkson has revealed that one of his puppies has died and that Diddly Squat farm will have to shut for at least two months after it was hit with an outbreak of bovine tuberculosis.
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Clarkson, 64, said he found one of his puppies dead this morning, and that the farm would have to be shut for at least eight weeks until further tests can be done on his cattle.
Bovine Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis, which can also infect and cause disease in cats, badgers and dogs.
Read also: What is bovine TB?
He said: “It’s awful.
"You have a test every few months on the cows and then you sort of become blasé, it's a hypothetical threat.
"And then the vet looks up as he did yesterday lunchtime and said 'I'm really sorry this one's failed'.
"So that means we're now locked down and it's just dreadful, absolutely dreadful.”
He said one of his puppies died and there was one calf that was also very ill.
He first shared the news yesterday that his Diddly Squat Farm in Oxfordshire has been hit by a widespread TB outbreak.
The 65-year-old broadcaster-turned-farmer revealed on social media that his staff had been "devastated' by the 'bad news".
Taking to X on Thursday, the presenter tweeted: "Bad news from Diddly Squat. We’ve gone down with TB. Everyone here is absolutely devastated".
Spanning four seasons, the Amazon show follows the former Top Gear presenter as he attempts to run his 1,000-acre farm in the Cotswolds.
Located in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, the estate rose to fame off the back of the show, with the series documenting his newly found passion for agriculture.
TB is a highly infectious disease which primarily affects the lungs, but can also have a drastic impact on other parts of the body.
In a second tweet, Clarkson was seen to clarify details contained within his initial social media post.
Bad news from Diddly Squat. We’ve gone down with TB. Everyone here is absolutely devastated.
— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) July 31, 2025
"I should clear this up really. It’s Bovine TB that we have. It doesn’t affect people, just our poor cows," he wrote on X.
The message triggered an outpouring of support from well-wishers, with one repling: ""Thanks for clarifying, Jeremy! Hope the cows recover soon. "
The response saw the presenter bluntly reply: "They have to be culled. It’s the law."
They have to be culled. It’s the law.
— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) July 31, 2025
Back in March, it was revealed that the Prince of Wales is to appear on an episode of Clarkson's Farm - with Prince George said be among the fans.
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs have been contacted for comment.
