Jeremy Clarkson reveals 'aggressive' cancer diagnosis in documentary

Jeremy Clarkson, the television presenter, has revealed that he has cancer in emotional scenes shown on the latest instalment of his documentary series Clarkson's Farm.The veteran broadcaster says he knew of the diagnosis back in May.He says it's aggressive, but it has been caught early.

The TV star heard teased that the latest episodes would be sombre on social media, but it's the first time the diagnosis has been made public.Nick Dixon is in Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire, outside Jeremy's Diddley Squat Farm shop.His co -stars were visibly shocked at the news.What do we know, Nick?

Morning, Martin, Morten, Susannah.The detail and the diagnosis, some detail at least, revealed here over the course of a couple of episodes of the show, though Jeremy Clarkson, quick to emphasize that this diagnosis was caught very early during what seems to have been a routine medical examination and then, of course, a biopsy.He described it as aggressive, and here's how it played out on the show when he was talking to his friends Caleb and Charlie.

Yeah, cancer.Where is of no concern of anybody?I've known since May.

Well, Jeremy Clarkson is understandably quite emotional in these episodes of the show and did warn viewers ahead of time that it would be a difficult watch, certainly very different in tone to the usual sort of light -hearted episodes that we're used to of this show.And he did allude to something quite serious coming up on the show as well.in a recent Instagram post.Take a look.

Sombre news, Clarkson's Farm.Ordinarily, we try to keep the show bucolic and charming and cheerful.But the final two episodes, which drop in the middle of the night tonight, are none of those things, really.They're a difficult watch.They're really, really difficult.

Well, the fifth season of this show started with a health challenge for Jeremy Clarkson, a very serious arterial blockage, a heart scare for him, and now ending with another, perhaps longer -term challenge as well.

Here we are at the end of season five, and I'm back in the hospital bed.Some of the treatment's gone a bit awry, let's say.I'm going to be here for a little while.If this is all successful, I'll see you in for season six, and if it isn't, I won't.Take care everyone.

We found out last night when the latest series, I don't know if you're fans of Clarkson's Farm, I watch it, I love it.

I watched the first one.

Jeremy Clarkson has had a massive impact on boosting the profile of British farming and now he is, I mean he was very honest abouthis experience with his heart health quite recently. NowNow he's revealed that he has an aggressive form of cancer.We don't know precisely where that cancer is, but he said it was caught early.Let's just have a listen to Jeremy Clarkson talking about it with his friends Charlie and Caleb.

Yeah, I've got cancer.No.Where is of no concern of anybody.

I've known since May. I think Caleb's reaction there is something that resonates with us all, because cancer is still, even though it's eminently treatable, especially, we don't know what kind of cancer he has, he says, you know, it's being treated, they got it early.There's just something about the words and something about the condition, just when you hear it, and 1 ,000 people are diagnosed with cancer every day in this country.Is there something so shocking about it?

Yeah, I think part of that dates back from when treatments were far less effective and death rates were worse.But no, I mean, a thousand people a day getting that news.Somebody who was told, he just said, it's well stopped.And once he heard the word cancer, he didn't hear anything else from the consultant.And he now advises people, if you're going along to find out the results of a test, take somebody with you because you may not be able to hear on.Now, if it's heard in May, is that May last month.

I hope the treatment's going well and wish him well.I know with men...the most common form is prostate, followed by lung and bowel.My father had prostate cancer in his early 60s.He lived to be 90.I think it was caught reasonably well, it depends on the stage.

That's the thing, early diagnosis.I mean, it's the worst word you can hear, but early diagnosis is probably the best follow -up, because that is the key thing they say all the time.You get tests, get checked, and do it preventatively then.pretty much the treatments are really, really successful.But I guess there's not a family in the country that hasn't had that experience.And you do worry, you know, when I had it with my mum, you do immediately think, you know, oh, my God, now, you know, she was in for a day, she walked out and she was chatting, you know, to everybody and it was fine.

But it's never how you imagine it's going to be.You always imagine the worst because, as you say, the history and going back a generation, it was like, you know, the worst thing to hear.

Also something that we are all naturally terrible at is dealing with uncertainty.No matter what stage you're catching, no matter what you do, you don't know whether, even if the odds are it will get better and you will be going to remission and it'll be fine, you don't know that.And that's an incredibly tough thing to deal with psychologically.

Yeah.Is it one in four of us will be diagnosed with cancer?It depends where it is, what stage it is.And then one in four dementia.

So we've got one in four chances.

It's a bigger killer now, dementia, than cancer.Yeah, cancer's still very high.You've just got to wish him well.He was a heavy smoker in the past.He used to have 40 a day for many years.There was a time when he almost reveled in his unhealthy lifestyle.

That's all changed now.I was quite moved when he spoke about his heart problems and how he'd been fully blocked.You've really got to wish him well.

Yeah, wish him well and as we say, there are a thousand people today who will get that diagnosis.

Exactly the same thing that every family will go through.A thousand a day will go through the same thing.But the treatments are amazing now.They are absolutely amazing.

We also know that when somebody high -profile, you know, because you often get, well, you know, why is there so much attention paid to someone who's in the media who gets, or someone famous who gets cancer.The King was a very famous example.But the fact of the matter is, that when someone speaks out publicly, that very often does lead to people watching, checking themselves, thinking, you know what, I should just go and get that thing that's been worrying me checked out.And then the earlier you catch it, whatever it is, the better your chance of being treated.

It's interesting he hasn't named the type of cancer.

He says there's no concern to anyone.

But I actually think, you know, we are in this stage where someone is ill, someone has a condition that you don't, many people will declare it, but there's no rule that says you have to and actually you're allowed to keep your own private medical, whether it's physical or mental health conditions, to yourself if you want to.

And in the case of the Royals, we don't know.And following the King's lead.The King did exactly the same.

And they can tell as much or as little as they like.But of course, I know, I am now personally thinking, which cancer is it and what stage?And I'm sure everyone else.And he's entitled not to reveal any of that.But it won't stop people like me and lots of other people watching wondering.