Yahoo News Jeremy Clarkson spends eye-watering money on Diddly Squat as costs spiral
Jeremy Clarkson spent more than double the money he would usually spend on growing food
Jeremy Clarkson has spent more than double the money he would usually spend on growing food at Diddly Squat farm last year.
Clarkson's Farm returns for a hotly-anticipated third run, with the first four episodes landing on Prime Video on May 3. There is some heartbreak in store at Diddly Squat farm and Clarkson comforted his crying partner Lisa Hogan as the piglets appeared to die in the trailer.
The former Grand Tour presenter explained he would usually spend £40,000 on growing food but costs last year spiralled to £108,000.
Speaking at an event at Diddly Squat Farm ahead of its exclusive launch on Prime Video, he said: "Ordinarily we’d probably spend around £40,000 in seed, fertiliser, slug pellets, diesel etc and all of the various things you need in order to grow food. Well last year it was £108,000 we had to spend."
Although he hinted there will be no happy endings on Diddly Squat farm, Clarkson admitted the end of season three will surprise fans at home. He said: "It’ll be a nice surprise for you. It’s a very heartwarming programme, it’s funny, it’s informative. It’s charming."
This season Clarkson and Kaleb Cooper, who has been promoted to farm manager, compete to see who can make the most money on the farm. Clarkson takes charge of the unfarmed land while Cooper takes the reins with the farmed land.
Cooper said: "What the competition highlights is how much money you have to put in as a farmer, to actually then produce the food for people to put on their tables."
Reflecting, Cooper added: "I am never going to forget coming up the drive in the morning and Jeremy is just hoovering a hedge. I thought: You know what? I do not have the energy to stop and ask what you are doing."
Despite Clarkson and Cooper having their biggest row this season, the farm manager had some praise for his co-star. Cooper said: "With the pigs, I thought: Here we go, here is another thing I will have to babysit but actually, it is the one thing I can leave you to do. He is actually a really good pig farmer."
Also in the third season, cheeky Cooper seized the opportunity to fire Clarkson from Diddly Squat farm. Clarkson was less than impressed as he told Cooper: "What? You can't fire me, I'm the boss!" But Cooper told him: "I'm the farm manager, you're fired."
Speaking about "firing" Clarkson, Cooper told This Morning: "It was awesome, but unfortunately he's still here." He added: "I've got farm manager above my name now. To be honest with you, I think I was probably farm manager before I got the promotion but we'll skip past that and I'm very grateful for the promotion."
There is plenty of drama this season as Diddly Squat farm faces some of its biggest challenges yet. Crops are failing after red-hot weather and inflation is sending supply prices sky high. And while it seems like things can't get any worse, the farm shop could close and their hopes of a restaurant have been shutdown.
Clarkson is currently filming the fourth season at the moment on Diddly Squat farm. His girlfriend revealed the special reason why they would love to continue filming the show.
She said: "As long as it's educating people, and showing people how difficult farming is, and it's helping people appreciate food in a way that they may not have before. Maybe people will pop their bread in the freezer instead of throwing it out when they see how much work goes into making a loaf of bread."
Plus, Hogan shared her heartache over losing animals on the farm this season too. She said: "It was heart-breaking. Jeremy's always loved pigs, I didn’t think I’d be that enamoured by pigs but I did get really close to them as people will see. Farming’s just sad.
"The animals become your friends and you're isolated – there are certain farms that are really isolated – and the animals become your family. When they become unwell, you're losing members of your animal family."
Clarkson’s Farm series 3 launches globally on Prime Video on May 3rd 2024.
