Farm on Lockdown, But Clarkson Drops a Major Series 5 Update — Can Fans Still Hope?

Clarkson’s Farm in Lockdown Over TB Outbreak – Kaleb Cooper Shares Season 5 Update Amid Challenges

Diddly Squat Farm, the rural heart of the popular Clarkson’s Farm series, is facing one of its toughest periods yet as Jeremy Clarkson, 65, confirmed that the farm is under lockdown due to a devastating outbreak of bovine tuberculosis (bTB).

The Grand Tour and former Top Gear host revealed the heartbreaking news last week, sharing that one of his pregnant cows had tested positive for TB, triggering strict restrictions that prevent the farm from buying or selling cattle for at least two months.

“It’s awful, it is awful,” Clarkson told Times Radio. “You have a test every six months on the cows and then you sort of become blasé. It’s a hypothetical threat. Then the vet looks up, as he did yesterday lunchtime, and said, ‘I’m really sorry, this one’s failed’. So that means we’re now locked down and it’s just dreadful — absolutely dreadful.”

While the lockdown has caused concern among fans, particularly regarding the progress of the hit Prime Video series, Kaleb Cooper, the 27-year-old farm manager and fan favorite, was quick to offer a reassuring update.

Posting on Instagram, Cooper shared a behind-the-scenes video of himself harvesting crops at the 1,000-acre Oxfordshire farm. In the clip, he films a camera crew standing in the middle of a field as he passes by in his tractor.

“You’ve got to go around the film crew — they don’t move anymore,” he joked. “They just stand there and go, ‘We are not moving!’”

He captioned the post simply with “Season 5 😂😂”, sparking joy and excitement from fans. “Yes!!!!! Season 5,” one commented, while another added, “So happy!” — confirming that filming for the next season is well underway despite the ongoing challenges at the farm.

A Difficult Week for Clarkson

The TB outbreak has not been the only source of emotional strain for Clarkson this week. He also shared that one of his dog Arya’s newborn puppies had died.

“It’s only been not even 24 hours since I found out [about the TB] and it occupies my mind,” he said. “Well, it was occupying my mind, but I got up this morning and found one of my puppies has died.”

Earlier in the week, Clarkson’s longtime partner Lisa Hogan revealed that Arya had given birth to a healthy litter. Sadly, she later shared the loss of one of the pups, named Mr Grey, with the caption: “Sad news this morning. Mr Grey has gone to fur and feather land.”

Adding to the difficult week, Clarkson said they are also tending to a very sickly calf on the farm. “Honestly, farming? I’m not enjoying it this week,” he confessed.

The Extent of the TB Outbreak

The Clarkson’s Farm team is now dealing with the legal and operational implications of the bTB outbreak, which means they are under government-imposed restrictions.

According to Clarkson, the lockdown will last for a minimum of two months, after which another round of testing will determine whether the herd is free from the disease.

Though serious, the situation does not affect human health. Clarkson clarified the distinction via X (formerly Twitter), writing:

“I should clear this up really. It’s Bovine TB that we have. It doesn’t affect people — just our poor cows.”

Bovine tuberculosis is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis and primarily affects cattle. However, it can also infect other mammals, including deer, pigs, goats, dogs, and cats. It is most commonly spread through respiratory droplets (nose-to-nose contact), but can also be transmitted via saliva, urine, feces, and milk, according to gov.uk.

This is not the farm’s first encounter with TB risk. In 2023, Clarkson discovered badgers infected with TB on his Oxfordshire property, which sparked additional concerns about the spread of the disease within the local ecosystem.

Farm Shop and Pub Remain Open

Despite the distressing circumstances, Clarkson confirmed that his farm shop will remain open as it is not directly affected by the outbreak.

The farm’s off-site pub, The Farmer’s Dog in Burford, also continues to operate as normal. The pub, located about 10 miles from Diddly Squat Farm, was opened as a way to extend the farm’s reach and give fans a place to connect with the brand.

Hope for the Future

Though the recent news has cast a shadow over the normally lighthearted atmosphere of Clarkson’s Farm, fans remain hopeful — both for the recovery of the herd and for the next season of the show. With Kaleb Cooper confirming that filming is still in progress, and the continued support of the public, many are optimistic that the team at Diddly Squat will persevere.

In the meantime, Clarkson — known for his resilience and candidness — continues to be transparent about the ups and downs of farming life.

“It occupies my mind,” he said. “And it should, because it matters.”