TV star Jeremy Clarkson has been urged by animal rights group PETA to ‘make a major decision’ at his Diddly Squat farm following a ‘devastating’ tuberculosis outbreak
Television personality Jeremy Clarkson has been called upon by PETA to halt animal suffering on his farm following a “devastating” tuberculosis outbreak.
The Clarkson’s Farm presenter witnessed his livestock at Diddly Squat farm being decimated by bovine TB in recent weeks.
Clarkson originally purchased the Oxfordshire farm in 2008, renting it out before assuming farming duties himself in 2019.
The debut series of the hit Amazon Prime programme proved enormously successful and has been commissioned for a fifth series, but the TB outbreak marked one of the most significant setbacks since Clarkson acquired the property.
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has now penned a letter to Clarkson calling on him to cease animal breeding on the farm and transition to a plant-based operation.
The organisation states it sent the letter “urging him to ensure that no more animals suffer and die at his hands by making the farm an animal sanctuary and focusing on his mushroom and vegetable farming”.
The letter stated: “Perhaps behind the bravado and banter lies a man who wants to find a better way. That’s why we’re writing to you today.
“We believe this could be a turning point for you and a golden opportunity to leave behind the violence of breeding and farming animals.
“Lean into your mushroom and vegetable farming and let Diddly Squat Farm evolve into a sanctuary for both you and the animals still housed there. No more killing. No more heartache.”
During a Times Radio interview earlier this month, Jeremy confirmed the “dreadful” news regarding the outbreak.
He explained: “It’s awful, it is awful. You have a test every six months on the cows and then you sort of become blasé, it’s a hypothetical threat.
“And then the vet looks up as he did yesterday lunchtime and said ‘I’m really sorry this one’s failed’. So that means we’re now locked down and it’s just dreadful, absolutely dreadful.”
A post on X, formerly Twitter, stated: “Bad news from Diddly Squat. We’ve gone down with TB. Everyone here is absolutely devastated.”
Clarkson rose to fame alongside Richard Hammond and James May as one of the hosts of the revamped Top Gear, fronting the BBC programme almost continuously from 1988 to 2015 before departing the corporation after striking a producer.
Clarkson, Hammond and May subsequently created The Grand Tour, which aired on Amazon Prime until last year.
He has also achieved tremendous success with Clarkson’s Farm on the streaming platform, which follows Clarkson as he learns the trade on his 1,000 acre Cotswolds farm from experienced agricultural workers. PETA attempted to persuade Clarkson to adopt their proposal.
The letter further stated: “If Clarkson agrees to the plant-powered proposal, PETA would celebrate by making him the ambassador of its new website, BritishFarming.org, which encourages farmers, consumers, and policymakers to end animal suffering, protect the environment, and support rural communities by switching to kind, sustainable plant farming.”
TB is a disease that can infect all mammals, including humans. Clarkson’s farm undergoes biannual TB tests as it is situated in an “edge area” for the disease, serving as a buffer zone between high-risk and low-risk areas.
The disease, notorious for wreaking havoc on farm businesses, primarily affects the respiratory system and can be transmitted through direct contact such as nose-to-nose, or through contact with saliva, urine, faeces, and milk.
A spokesperson for Clarkson has been approached for comment.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
