Charlie Ireland, affectionately known as “Cheerful Charlie” on the hit show Clarkson’s Farm, has opened up about his genuine thoughts on Jeremy Clarkson. Since the show’s debut in 2021, Charlie, 48, has become a key figure, often managing finances and guiding Jeremy through the complex world of farming bureaucracy.
Despite working alongside Jeremy since 2009—when Clarkson bought the land that became Diddly Squat Farm—Charlie admits he was initially hesitant about the idea of filming the farm. “It didn’t sit right with me at first,” he confessed. Although he had the option to decline participation, Charlie eventually embraced the opportunity, gaining recognition alongside other farming personalities like Kaleb and Gerald Cooper.
Jeremy Clarkson, who purchased 1,000 acres of Oxfordshire’s Sarsden estate in 2009, took over farm operations himself after the retirement of the previous tenant in 2019. With no prior farming experience, Jeremy showed a genuine passion for agriculture from the very start. Charlie recalls, “My first impression was that he was very welcoming and focused, genuinely interested in what the farm was and what it could become — from crops to livestock. Not everyone has that.”
READ MORE: James Martin Reveals Secret Ingredient for the Ultimate Bacon Sandwich
READ MORE: Gloucester Foodie Ranks 30 Cheddar Cheeses and Finds Her Favorites
Having been a viewer of Clarkson’s work on Top Gear, Charlie jokes, “Anyone who says they haven’t watched Top Gear is lying.” Yet, despite his admiration for Jeremy’s television career, Charlie insists he’s never been starstruck.
Clarkson’s Farm recently secured a fifth series, set to air later this year on Amazon. Charlie believes its success stems from its timely depiction of real farming challenges—showcasing Jeremy’s struggles with unpredictable harvests and changing climate conditions. He reflects that had the show started in 2014 during a period of “brilliant wheat yields” and decent prices, it might have been “pretty dull.”
What sets the show apart, Charlie says, is Jeremy’s exceptional storytelling ability. “Jeremy’s ability to tell a story is phenomenal,” he notes. “Because it’s real, it’s captivating. I might use 1,000 words, he uses six, and everyone instantly understands. The other day, he wrote about birds on the farm and said ‘Everybody loves a robin, but we all know they’re fighty little b******s.’ That’s just four words capturing exactly what a robin is.”