Jeremy Clarkson has raised concerns about his health after his Clarkson’s Farm co-star Kaleb Cooper pointed out an unusual change in his appearance.
The 64-year-old, who has been managing Diddly Squat Farm for several years, returned from a trip to the South of France with his girlfriend, Lisa Hogan, only to have his 26-year-old farm manager remark that Clarkson looked like he might have vitiligo—a chronic autoimmune disorder that causes patches of skin to lose pigment.
Fortunately, Clarkson doesn't suffer from the condition but did note that his days of sunbathing are long gone.
In a column for The Times, the TV star described how he now avoids the sun, preferring to sit under a tree until late afternoon before making a dash for the pool.
He lamented: “The next problem we have when we go abroad is the sun. I used to lie in it, hoping I could go home looking like David Dickinson. But I never achieved that Cuprinol finish. I just went red and then all my skin fell off, as though my eczema had returned.
“So now I don't sunbathe at all. I just sit under a tree until five and then scuttle at high speed into the pool. When I returned to the farm on Monday, Kaleb thought I'd caught vitiligo.”
Despite his precautions, his trip to St Tropez was not without its challenges. He shared how he and his children were relentlessly attacked by mosquitoes, though his better half Lisa, who hails from Ireland, seemed immune.
Clarkson also dismissed any possibility of writing an autobiography, citing his poor memory as the reason.
Just a few months after revealing that his hearing loss has "doubled the chance" of developing dementia, he admitted that his memory is now so unreliable that taking on such a project would be impossible.
“The other thing I get asked is if I will write an autobiography,” he continued in his column. “The answer is no because I can’t remember anything. My memory is shot. I mean, I can remember little snippets from here and there but not enough to write an autobiography.”
However, Clarkson did suggest that his longtime friend and collaborator, Andy Wilman, the executive producer of Top Gear and The Grand Tour, should consider writing a memoir instead, praising Wilman's phenomenal memory.
In November, the Prime Video star revealed that he now wears "very snazzy and incredibly clever" hearing aids after experiencing severe hearing loss for the past 12 years.
Despite these challenges, the British star hasn’t lost his trademark humour when he shared his annual A-levels tweet, where he consoles students disappointed with their results by bragging about his own success despite poor grades.
Don’t worry if your A level results aren’t what you were hoping for. I got a C and two Us, and here I am, 46 years later, with my own pub.
— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) August 15, 2024
It opens next weekend if you fancy dropping in.
His annual tweet has become as much a part of results day as the nervous anticipation itself, with 2024 marking the 10th anniversary of his tradition.
However, this year he invited people down to check out the upcoming opening of his new pub.
Clarkson tweeted: “Don’t worry if your A level results aren’t what you were hoping for. I got a C and two Us, and here I am, 46 years later, with my own pub.
“It opens next weekend if you fancy dropping in,” he added with an addition of self-promotion.
