Chris Packham has reignited his feud with Jeremy Clarkson, labelling the former Top Gear presenter an “agitator” following criticism of Clarkson’s farming practices showcased at Diddly Squat Farm in the Cotswolds. Both television personalities share a passion for farming, yet hold divergent views on the industry’s methods and environmental impact.
Packham, well known for his work on BBC’s Springwatch and his outspoken stance on the environmental harm caused by modern agriculture, appeared to instigate recent tensions during an appearance on Celebrity Gogglebox earlier this year. While watching Clarkson’s Prime Video series, Clarkson’s Farm, he commented, “Already, right, that’s not what a farm looks like,” before explaining, “Most farms are horrible monocultures, which have been sprayed with deadly chemicals time and time again. The ground is pumped full of fertiliser, and loads of the animals are indoors in crates, being crushed and kept in the dark.”
Despite their public disagreements, Packham acknowledged his understanding of Clarkson’s approach to farming, describing him as an “agitator” whose role somewhat aligns with his own mission to spark conversations that hasten positive change, albeit acknowledging that this can make some uncomfortable. He elaborated to The Times, “My point is that if all farms were like Jeremy Clarkson’s, the world would be a better place. But the fact of the matter is they’re not. They’re used as a front by industrial farming to keep their produce on the shelves.”
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Clarkson responded swiftly on social media, recalling a 2012 visit when Packham spent the day at his farm foraging and bird watching. Writing in his Sun column, Clarkson criticised Packham’s remarks, referring to them as “b******s.” He challenged Packham’s accusations, stating that if mistreatment of animals had been present, Packham would have noticed and spoken up.
Packham later shared statistics on animal welfare, pesticide use, and habitat destruction on Instagram, further questioning the idyllic image portrayed in Clarkson’s programme, asking, “Tell me Jeremy Clarkson, is it really all happy smiley down on the farm?”
In a somewhat conciliatory move, Clarkson admitted regret over his earlier harsh words in The Sun, stating, “I was very incensed by this and immediately wrote that he was talking b******s. But in the new age of tolerance and respect, I shouldn’t have done that. I should have kept schtum.”
Nonetheless, Packham remains critical, accusing Clarkson and other industrial farmers of presenting an unrealistic image of UK farming to mask harsher realities. Speaking to the Express, he said, “Clarkson is being disingenuous and the industrial farmers are making a smokescreen to hide their horrors. I made the comments about the silly idealistic stereotyped cartoon at the top of his programme, he knows that.”
He stressed the importance of revealing the truth behind farming practices for the sake of animal welfare, wildlife conservation, human health, and environmental security, concluding, “They can shoot at the messenger, but they will not silence the truth, even if Jezza has a big mouth.”