Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Tori Preston | TV | June 11, 2025
When I saw that Amazon Prime Video had a fourth season of Clarkson’s Farm available to watch, I was a bit surprised. I could have sworn that the streamer had parted ways with Clarkson two years ago, in the wake of his wildly sexist column in The Sun about Meghan Markle. In case you don’t remember, he discussed how much he hated the Duchess on a “cellular level” and suggested she be paraded naked through the streets while crowds chant “Shame!” at her (this, at least, he didn’t imagine whole-cloth; he just referenced Game of Thrones). Clarkson went on to apologize, and The Sun retracted the column and was formally sanctioned, but Variety claimed in early 2023 that due to the incident, Amazon would likely be getting out of the Clarkson business:
Sources tell Variety that the streaming service won’t be working with Clarkson beyond seasons of “The Grand Tour” and “Clarkson’s Farm” that have already been commissioned. This means that the notorious “Top Gear” presenter likely won’t be appearing in any new shows on Prime Video beyond 2024 (though there’s every chance a final “Grand Tour” episode could carry over into 2025).
Sure enough, The Grand Tour — Amazon’s don’t-call-it-Top Gear show which reunited hosts Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond after the trio departed the BBC original due to… well, Jeremy Clarkson punching a producer — came to a wrap in 2024, though Clarkson claimed the hosts chose to walk away as they were running out of ideas, rather than the streamer pulling the plug. That same year, a third season of Clarkson’s Farm debuted on Prime, which should have been the last thing commissioned prior to the column incident. Yet here we are, in the year 2025, and there’s now a fourth season available with a fifth on the way. What gives?
That’s easy: Variety got it wrong — or at least their “sources” fed them wishy washy information. There was no formal announcement from Amazon definitively splitting with Clarkson, but getting the trades to run with messaging that they likely would was a pretty clever way to look like they were taking the complaints against Clarkson seriously while buying them time to wait for the incident to blow over. It doesn’t really matter if The Grand Tour was cancelled or if the hosts quit — the show truly had run out of steam, and had already transformed into a series of periodic specials that were likely expensive to produce and too sporadic to offer much benefit to Amazon. Clarkson’s Farm, on the other hand, is something of an unlikely juggernaut. The series consistently sets records for Prime’s viewership in the UK, and better yet it gains viewers year over year. The season three premiere was the second most-watched streaming show in the UK in 2024, so it’s absolutely clear why Amazon would greenlight a fourth season and beyond.
I was sitting here thinking I was experiencing some weird Mandela Effect around Amazon firing Clarkson, but it wasn’t a false memory — it was just some fancy PR wordplay. And you know what? I’m not even mad. We’re all navigating this not-so-Cancel Culture the best we can, and Clarkson is my problematic fandom. He’s an oaf who has earned every bit of backlash he’s ever received, and I’m not here to argue that he deserves his continued success. What I will say is that … I loved Top Gear. I was fascinated to see the evolving experiment that was The Grand Tour, as the hosts and producers figured out how to emerge from the shadows of Top Gear and craft something new. And I watch the hell out of Clarkson’s Farm, my cozy comfort show, because it’s such an interesting reflection of this stage of Clarkson’s life. He’s still problematic, and god knows when he’ll put his hateful foot in his mouth next, but you can’t say the guy doesn’t change or even grow just the tiniest bit. Seeing him unexpectedly humbled when he can’t plow a field, or being the butt of the joke from farmhands who have never even been to London and are unimpressed by his celebrity connections, and realizing that this is the life he’s choosing now? Sure, he still buys a Lamborghini tractor instead of a sensible one, but he plants wildflowers for birds and bees. He fights to start restaurants to feature local produce, all while shining a light on the struggles of UK farmers. He cries over dead piglets. The gas-guzzling maniac known for shouting “More Power!” now has a show that addresses climate change!
Does any of this make him less problematic? No. But Clarkson isn’t just a blowhard buffoon — he’s a nuanced blowhard buffoon. I respect the opinions of everyone who chooses not to engage with his projects. He’s earned that. But I guess I’m here to admit that I’ll keep watching, because it’s compelling to see someone make so many mistakes and then surprise you by being just a little bit better, only to do it over and over again. Not that he needs my support, of course. He’s a rich old white man who’s basically Teflon at this point.
