Television presenter Jeremy Clarkson has disclosed that one of his puppies died this morning, mere hours after revealing his Oxfordshire farm had been struck by bovine tuberculosis.
On Thursday, Clarkson revealed everybody at Diddly Squat was “absolutely devastated” to learn there had been a TB outbreak on the farm.
The devastation emerged just days after he’d shared with his fans that one of his dogs, Arya, had given birth to a litter of puppies.
However, on Friday, the heartbreaking events unfolding at his Oxfordshire farm took another turn when Clarkson woke up to the sad news that one of Arya’s pups had died.
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Jeremy Clarkson with his dogs Arya and Sansa
The 65-year-old broadcaster told Times Radio: “I got up this morning and found one of my puppies has died.”
This tragedy compounds the distress at Diddly Squat Farm, where a positive TB test was confirmed yesterday afternoon.
“It’s awful, it is awful,” Clarkson said during the radio interview. “The vet looks up as he did yesterday lunchtime and said ‘I’m really sorry this one’s failed’.”
The diagnosis means the Chadlington-based farm faces immediate shutdown for a minimum of two months whilst awaiting retesting.
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The infected animal at the centre of the outbreak is expecting twins, Clarkson revealed on social media platform X yesterday.
Particular concern surrounds Endgame, the Aberdeen Angus bull featured prominently in the Prime Video series, whose test results proved inconclusive.
“I couldn’t bear it if we lost him,” Clarkson wrote in response to concerned fans.
The presenter initially announced the outbreak on Thursday afternoon, stating: “We’ve gone down with TB. Everyone here is absolutely devastated.”
He subsequently clarified that the farm had contracted bovine TB, emphasising that whilst the disease doesn’t affect humans, it poses a severe threat to their cattle herd.
The former Top Gear presenter expressed his despair about the situation during his Times Radio appearance today.
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Jeremy Clarkson and Lisa Hogan often include their dogs on Clarkson’s Farm
“It’s only been not even 24 hours since I found out and it occupies my mind,” he said, describing how the diagnosis has consumed his thoughts.
Beyond the deceased puppy, Clarkson mentioned additional concerns at the farm: “And we’ve got a very sickly calf.”
The accumulation of setbacks has clearly taken its toll on the broadcaster. “Honestly, farming? I’m not enjoying it this week,” he admitted.
Regarding the lockdown duration, Clarkson confirmed: “Certainly two months because that’s how long we have to wait before we do another test.”
Bovine tuberculosis represents the agricultural sector’s most significant challenge, forcing the slaughter of infected livestock.
Between October 2021 and September 2022, the disease led to 22,934 cattle deaths across England.
Bad news from Diddly Squat. We’ve gone down with TB. Everyone here is absolutely devastated.
— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) July 31, 2025
The chronic respiratory illness, triggered by Mycobacterium bovis bacteria, spreads primarily through airborne transmission when infected animals cough or sneeze.
Wildlife, particularly badgers, can transmit the infection to cattle through close contact, though debate continues regarding control methods.
Government data indicates 10,769 badgers were culled last year, contributing to approximately 240,000 deaths over twelve years.
The disease creates severe financial and emotional hardship for farming families, with infected herds facing mandatory culling regardless of pregnancy status or breeding value.