Vernon Kay has waded into the long-running public disagreement between Chris Packham and Jeremy Clarkson after the conservationist’s criticism of Clarkson’s Farm sparked a war of words.
The BBC Radio 2 presenter addressed the naturalist during Wednesday’s edition of his breakfast programme while discussing Mr Packham’s new BBC Two documentary series Evolution, which he had recently watched alongside Paddy McGuinness for an upcoming episode of Celebrity Gogglebox.
Mr Kay and Mr McGuinness both appear on the Channel 4 programme, while Mr Packham stars alongside his stepdaughter Megan McCubbin.
As the pair reflected on the series, Mr Kay revealed they had been captivated by its exploration of the origins of life.
Vernon Kay and Paddy McGuinness discussed Evolution after watching the series for Celebrity Gogglebox
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GOGGLEBOX / CHANNEL 4
Offering his verdict on both the programme and its presenter, Mr Kay told listeners: “It’s cracking. It’s a great show. Chris Packham – one of the best, isn’t he?”
Mr Kay went on to express his enthusiasm for the documentary, explaining: “He talks about where we all stem from, and one cell is the key to all life. Fascinating. It’s worth a watch.
“Paddy and I were like, ‘Get out – no way!'”
The presenter joked about the series’ exploration of how all living things share common ancestry, adding: “I couldn’t believe I was related to him, I’ll be honest with you. We’re all related to each other.”
Jeremy Clarkson hit back after Mr Packham criticised Clarkson’s Farm on Celebrity Gogglebox
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GETTY
Mr Kay’s supportive remarks come after a public row between Mr Packham and the Clarkson’s Farm star erupted last week.
During an episode of Celebrity Gogglebox, Mr Packham took aim at the Amazon Prime series, arguing that its portrayal of Diddly Squat Farm presented an unrealistic picture of British agriculture.
The conservationist criticised the programme’s opening credits, stating the idyllic imagery was “not what a farm looks like”.
He went further, claiming that the majority of farms are “horrible monocultures which have been sprayed with deadly chemicals” where livestock are kept “indoors in crates”.
The documentary maker argued that Clarkson’s Farm presents an unrealistic portrayal of modern British farming
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GETTY
Mr Clarkson swiftly hit back in his column for The Sun, branding the naturalist’s comments “b******s” and questioning their accuracy.
The former Top Gear presenter pointed out that Mr Packham had previously visited Diddly Squat Farm in 2012, where he had been “foraging and bird watching”, suggesting he would have noticed any mistreatment of animals during that visit.
Mr Packham appeared on Celebrity Gogglebox alongside his stepdaughter Megan McCubbin when the row began
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GOGGLEBOX / CHANNEL 4
“The endlessly angry Chris Packham went on Gogglebox this week and erupted in blind fury about the Winnie the Pooh-ish opening credits to my farming programme,” Mr Clarkson wrote.
MrClarkson’s Clarkson’s Farm co-star Harriet Cowan also weighed into the debate, urging Mr Packham to “research your facts” before criticising Britain’s farmers in a TikTok video.