Top 10 Devastating Clarksons Farm Moments

#10: Pepper

Of all the animals on the farm, Pepper’s was the story we followed the most intently. Upon buying her, Clarkson made a promise to a little girl that he’d look after her no matter what. But it becomes clear that Pepper isn’t getting pregnant. They try artificial insemination and even get a bull in, but it’s no use. At the end, Clarkson has a choice: send her to slaughter, against the little girl’s wishes, or keep her on despite the fact she’s not going to generate any revenue for the farm. Of course, he keeps her. It was heartbreaking to watch him make the choice, though. But in a surprising twist, we found out that Pepper HAD managed to have a calf the following year.

#9: Wayne Rooney

An animal who wasn’t so lucky was Wayne. He was one of Clarkson’s two rams, bought in series 1 to breed with his herd of sheep, each named after a legendary shagger: Wayne Rooney and Leonardo DiCaprio, respectively. But while Leo got on alright, Wayne was one day found dead, in a gruelling moment for Clarkson. An autopsy showed he’d died of a twisted bowel, which is certainly an unpleasant way to go. Admittedly, the sadness of the moment is undercut by the fact the ram is called “Wayne Rooney” in the first place, but in this first year of farming for Jeremy, losing any animal was difficult.

#8: Farmers’ Clubhouse

The existence of the farmers’ clubhouse in Clarkson’s pub certainly isn’t devastating, but the reason why he added it IS. Clarkson used his vast platform to shed a light on the current mental health crisis among farmers, who take their own lives at a higher rate than the national average. Many farmers work gruelling hours without the constant company that Clarkson has in the form of Kaleb, Charlie, Lisa, and so on. Facing the extreme stress of agricultural work often completely alone is an appalling burden. So, Clarkson decided to build this clubhouse where only farmers will be served in the top of the Farmer’s Dog pub, giving farmers a space to gather and talk to one another about the job.

#7: No Profit

After one full year on the farm, it was time for Jeremy to look at the financials, something any farmer dreads. Though he’s an independent millionaire thanks to his motoring riches, the farm still has its own accounts, and it’s Charlie’s job to deliver the news. On the one hand, they are, just about, in profit. But on the other, the profit is a meagre £144. Yes, the expenses of farming are so high that many farms don’t generate profit at all, with the revenue barely covering the running costs. Lots of farm owners can’t even pay themselves a proper wage.

#6: Gerald

It became clear at the beginning of series 3 that something was going on with Gerald, the Cotswolds’ best dry stone waller, because he was in and out of the doctor’s. Clarkson’s eventually told that Gerald has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. With Gerald resting while undergoing treatment, Kaleb and Jeremy team up to tackle the crumbling walls. Jeremy does everything he can to support Gerald. Thankfully, there’s a happy ending to this sad moment: Gerald eventually recovers. He might be difficult to understand, but he’s beloved not just by the farmers on Diddly Squat but by the rest of the local community, and the audience at home.

#5: The Rain

With earlier series grappling with the realities of a drought, 2024 had something else to deal with: the rain. Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire saw their second-wettest year since records began, leading to widespread flooding on Diddly Squat and its neighbouring farms. It was miserable and relentless, and even when the weather clears up, things keep going wrong. The coveted durum wheat, the farm’s most valuable crop, fails the test it needs to pass to be made into pasta. As Clarkson himself points out, he’s not had a single year without record-breaking weather since taking over the farm.

#4: The Council

After months of hobnobbing, arguing, and debating, Clarkson was finally given the verdict on whether he was allowed to turn his old lambing barn – no longer in use because he’d stopped keeping sheep – into a restaurant. He plans to use only local produce from his fellow, struggling farmers in the restaurant, but the council won’t allow it because they’re still angry about Diddly Squat’s car parking situation – which, to be fair, is a nightmare. But it’s clear enough that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, clear enough to everybody other than the council. They reject the planning application. Jeremy’s forced to get creative with an old building on the property, but the following series reveals the council has killed that, too.

#3: Lost Lamb

Before Wayne Rooney and even before the final decision about Pepper, there was this poor, abandoned lamb. Left alone by his mother, the weak lamb was eventually moved into Clarkson’s house and a makeshift pen. Clarkson and Lisa take it in turns to feed the lamb by hand to try and help him get his strength back, but sometimes, nature takes its course. The lamb, sadly, doesn’t make it, and has died by the following morning. It hit Jeremy hard, especially after nursing the lamb himself. Although, he was actually more disturbed by Ellen the shepherdess showing him how the male lambs lose their manhood when they’re only a few days old.

#2: TB

Any farmer who works with cows will know the fear of bovine TB. Rife in wild badger populations, it can frequently jump to cows, and if it’s not controlled, there will be deadly outbreaks. Clarkson learns about this first-hand in series 2, chatting to a dairy farmer who’s been hit by TB numerous times. A positive TB test requires an end to beef and milk production, quarantine, and the culling of all affected animals, which can cost farmers a fortune in lost income. And, unfortunately, it’s difficult to control; badger culling is strictly regulated – and also not thought to actually be effective – while DEFRA is still trying to develop a working vaccine for cattle.

#1: The Piglets

Series 1 was sheep, series 2 was cows, and series 3 was all about pigs. Unfortunately, the pigs turned out to be the most difficult yet. In this episode, aptly named “Harrowing”, Clarkson and Lisa come face-to-face with the realities of a litter of piglets. They learn the hard way that pigs are more prone to “overlaying” than other animals, and that this breed is particularly bad for it. The mother pigs are accidentally crushing their piglets at an extraordinary rate, leaving Clarkson and Lisa emotionally wrecked as they try to protect the surviving piglets from their careless mothers. Even the modifications to the shelters Clarkson makes weren’t completely effective.

Let us know in the comments if you’ve ever shed a tear over “Clarkson’s Farm”.