Jeremy Clarkson, renowned for his longstanding career in motoring television, has in recent years gained acclaim for his Amazon Prime series, Clarkson’s Farm. This show documents his efforts to manage and cultivate his Diddly Squat farm in Oxfordshire, highlighting interactions with his co-stars, including farmer Kaleb Cooper and partner Lisa Hogan.
Clarkson and Lisa Hogan have been together for nearly ten years, with Lisa often exhibiting patience towards Clarkson’s distinctive personality and quirks. During a recent journey to Italy, Clarkson described Lisa as “the most annoying thing” during their car ride, after he admitted to ignoring two of her requests.
The couple travelled to Italy to attend a friend’s wedding, adding some sightseeing to their itinerary. A motoring enthusiast at heart, Clarkson had planned to hire a Fiat Panda to navigate the narrow, winding streets of Puglia. However, his personal assistant arranged for a Ferrari supercar instead.
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Behind the wheel of the Ferrari 296 Speciale A, which Clarkson characterised as “hyper bonkers”, he encountered several challenges. The car persistently beeped when exceeding the speed limit-something Clarkson acknowledged he intended to do frequently, noting that “everyone in southern Italy” drives similarly.
In addition to the speed warnings, Clarkson struggled with operating the satellite navigation and overcoming various technical complexities. Writing in his Sunday Times column, he described the car’s handling and features, stating: “The turning circle is woeful, the roof clunks when you put it down, and so does the suspension when you go over a bump.”
He further elaborated on the vehicle’s powertrain, explaining: “The drive line features a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 engine and an electric motor that work together to provide the power.”
Meanwhile, Lisa Hogan expressed her own frustrations during the trip, making two straightforward requests: “Slow down,” and “Can you put the roof up?” According to Clarkson, both of these were promptly declined.
He recounted: “The most annoying thing in the car, though, was Lisa. We were in the Italian sunshine, in a Ferrari convertible, and she only ever said those two things. The answer to both was ‘No.’”
Clarkson also mentioned he is “quite well known in Italy,” highlighting that there is a television channel there that exclusively airs old episodes of Top Gear.
In a separate development, Clarkson recently expressed his distress after discovering that 11 sheep had been stolen from Diddly Squat Farm. While counting his flock with Kaleb Cooper, Clarkson noticed the animals missing and issued a heartfelt warning to those responsible. He said: “It’s upset me. You can’t ever form a bond with a sheep. Anyone who has anything stolen knows it’s awful, but to have animals stolen, it’s really galling. They were happy here. This is my favourite field on the farm.”