Jeremy Clarkson's Diddly Squat Farm has been declared officially free of bovine tuberculosis (TB) after enduring a seven-month lockdown, following a devastating scare that resulted in the slaughter of a pregnant cow. The farm's TB-free status was confirmed in March 2026, as Clarkson revealed in a column for The Sun, stating: "After seven months of lockdown, Diddly Squat farm became officially TB-free this week."
Details of the TB Scare
The ordeal began in August 2025, prior to the release of Season 5 of Clarkson's Farm on Prime Video. Welsh vet Dilwyn Evans was conducting routine examinations on Clarkson's herd when he identified a potential 'fail' on one of the animals, a cow carrying twins. The cow, which was the first ever brought to the farm, subsequently underwent two inconclusive TB tests. In distressing scenes aired during the final episode of Season 5, the cow was sent to be slaughtered as a legal requirement following a suspected TB outbreak.
However, a post-mortem later revealed that the cow did not actually have TB. Clarkson expressed his frustration, saying his "blood boiled" over the unnecessary loss. Despite this, the farm was still legally obliged to remain in lockdown until it could be declared TB-free.
Impact on the Farm
The lockdown had severe consequences for Diddly Squat Farm, preventing it from trading as a business. Clarkson wrote in his column for The Times: "All the barns we needed to store the grain in, we now have to convert into a cow hospital. We've got another calf with pneumonia, so that needs to be housed. And we can't buy or sell a cow now because the farm officially, you know, has TB."
The situation also took an emotional toll, as Clarkson noted in his Sun column: "In farming, it seems you are allowed one bit of good news, but it must always be accompanied by some kind of disaster." He revealed that just as the farm was declared TB-free, they learned one of their donkeys had laminitis and had to be put down.
Looking Ahead
With the TB threat now lifted, Clarkson and his team can move forward with renewed optimism. The farm is no longer under restrictions, allowing them to resume normal operations, including buying and selling cattle. Clarkson's Farm continues to stream on Prime Video, offering viewers an inside look at the challenges of modern farming.
