Jeremy Clarkson 'reduced to tears' after being forced to send his pigs to slaughter

The difficult decision came during Thursday's episode of Clarkson's farm, where the presenter was told that the pigs were not financially viable for the farm.

The breed of the pigs could only be used to produce sausages, limiting their profits.

Faced with increasing losses, Clarkson made the emotional decision to part with the animals.

Although upset, he explained that he made the choice because of the farm’s needs, telling viewers: "I'm so happy with them, but we are running a business here."

The decision was made harder by the fact he knew where many of the pigs were heading: the abattoir. Those being sent for slaughter included one of the original mother pigs Clarkson had purchased three years prior.

Not all the animals had the same outcome, however. Two of the original mother pigs, Clumsy and Swizz, were instead rehomed to a child-friendly educational farm.

Explaining the decision, Clarkson said it would have been too upsetting to send them to slaughter, adding: "They've had four batches of piglets."

The presenter found some comfort in the support of his partner, Lisa Hogan, as the pigs were taken away from Diddly Squat.

The emotional scenes come after a turbulent series for Clarkson. Recent episodes have featured a serious heart health scare, and further troubles for the farm are looming later in the series.

Upcoming episodes are expected to focus on an outbreak of bovine tuberculosis (bTB), a highly contagious disease that resulted in the death of one of his puppies and spread among his calves.

The first four episodes of Clarkson’s Farm are now available on Prime Video, and new episodes are to be released every Wednesday.