Jeremy Clarkson reveals what saved his life after terrifying near death health scare
Jeremy Clarkson has said that an unexpected moment of idly scrolling on his phone may have saved his life, after it prompted him to recognise warning signs that led doctors to discover severe blockages in his heart arteries.
The broadcaster and farmer explained that he initially felt unwell while going about his normal work, experiencing chest tightness but dismissing it as nothing serious. He continued his day as usual, collecting pigs and returning to the farmyard. It was only while waiting for a lorry and scrolling on his phone that he noticed pins and needles in his arm, alongside a clammy feeling.
Those combined symptoms made him pause. “Pins and needles, tightness in the chest, and feeling clammy,” he said, “that sounds like something you shouldn’t ignore.” Clarkson contacted a doctor and was taken to hospital by ambulance.
Tests quickly ruled out an immediate heart episode, but further examinations revealed a far more serious underlying issue. Doctors found that the arteries supplying blood to his heart were dangerously blocked, heavily calcified and filled with fatty deposits. Without treatment, he was told, he had been in grave danger without realising it.
Clarkson underwent a procedure in which two stents were fitted to restore blood flow. He praised the medical team and said he was fortunate to live close to Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital, where he received rapid care and extensive testing.
The diagnosis has forced a dramatic change to his lifestyle. Clarkson admitted he had lived for decades with little regard for health, working intensely and socialising frequently. Although he gave up smoking seven years ago, he previously smoked heavily and drank wine daily. That way of life, he said, is now over.
Doctors have advised him to avoid alcohol and cut out red meat, fried foods, egg yolks and many of his favourite snacks. “The list,” he said, “is endless.” His new diet consists largely of fruit, vegetables and foods he once openly mocked, including yoghurt, kale and plant-based alternatives.
Despite the changes, Clarkson said he has no intention of slowing down professionally. He continues to film his farming programme, host television shows, write newspaper columns and run multiple businesses, including a pub, brewery and farm shop. “There’s nothing wrong with my heart itself,” he said. “It’s the pipes that feed it.”
He acknowledged the irony of owning a butcher’s shop and brewery while being unable to consume the products himself, describing it as a reminder of the choices he made earlier in life. “I lived as if I had a fortune and spent it all,” he reflected. “Now I’m paying attention.”
Clarkson added that while he will complain about the restrictions, he recognises that millions of people make similar adjustments every year. “I’ll moan about it,” he said, “but not loudly.”
