Politician's shock death made Jeremy Clarkson go to doctor - symptoms included pins and needles

Jeremy Clarkson at hiss pub opening
-Credit: (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)


Jeremy Clarkson has opened up about undergoing a heart procedure following a "sudden deterioration" in his health. Writing in The Sunday Times, the 64 year old presenter of Clarkson’s Farm on Prime Video described the "wearisome effects of growing old".

He recounted how after a swim in the Indian Ocean, he struggled with stairs and upon returning home, his condition worsened rapidly. Clarkson experienced symptoms such as being "clammy", feeling a "tightness in my chest", and having "pins and needles in my left arm".

Spurred by the news of Alex Salmond's fatal heart attack, Clarkson visited his doctor. He was taken to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford by ambulance where an initial diagnosis ruled out a heart attack after an electrocardiogram (ECG), blood tests, and X-rays.

READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson made James May 'wince' on Top Gear and it wasn't when he was being controversial

Further examinations led him to an "operating theatre", where doctors discovered one of his heart's arteries was completely blocked and another was close to being so. Clarkson revealed that within two hours, a life-saving stent was fitted to improve blood flow to his heart, potentially saving him from becoming very ill.

The motoring journalist shared his recent health ordeal, stating: "It wasn’t especially painful. Just odd," and reflected: "Crikey, that was close." Clarkson also mused about his dietary choices following the incident, saying he was "wondering what water tastes like and if it’s possible to make celery interesting" as he contemplated reducing his meat consumption.

He has disclosed in the past that he quit smoking after suffering from pneumonia while on holiday in Spain. Last month saw Clarkson, along with Richard Hammond and James May, part ways with their popular show The Grand Tour on Prime Video.

Clarkson still hosts Clarkson’s Farm, a series documenting his agricultural adventures in Oxfordshire on Prime Video, and continues to present Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? on ITV. Additionally, he has ventured into the hospitality business by opening a new pub named The Farmer’s Dog in Asthall, near Burford, not far from his home in Chipping Norton.

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