Jeremy Clarkson Makes Major Decision About Breakout ‘Co-Star’ on Clarkson’s Farm – Is This Character Getting Their Own Spin-Off Show?
Jeremy Clarkson’s Pig ‘Richard Ham’ Steals the Show, Sparking Trademark Frenzy and Merchandise Mania
Chadlington, Cotswolds – October 21, 2025 – Jeremy Clarkson, the larger-than-life presenter turned improbable farmer, has never shied away from a bold move. From revving supercars on Top Gear to wrestling with turnips on Clarkson’s Farm, the 65-year-old’s latest gambit is his most charmingly absurd yet: capitalizing on the runaway stardom of a pint-sized pig named Richard Ham. This plucky porker, a fan favorite from the fourth season of Clarkson’s Farm on Prime Video, has prompted Clarkson to file a trademark application with the UK’s Intellectual Property Office, setting the stage for a merchandise empire that could see the pig’s name splashed across everything from T-shirts to Christmas ornaments.
According to The Daily Star, Clarkson’s trademark filing for “Richard Ham” covers a dizzying array of products: clothing, homewares like mugs and aprons, gardening gear for Diddly Squat devotees, cookbooks brimming with farm-inspired recipes, and even festive decorations to bring a touch of porcine pizzazz to the holiday season. The move is quintessential Clarkson—part cheeky stunt, part shrewd business play—leveraging the unexpected fame of a pig named after his long-time Top Gear and The Grand Tour co-star Richard Hammond. The pint-sized piglet, once the runt of the litter, has grown into a cultural phenomenon, and Clarkson is betting big on its marketability.
Richard Ham’s rise to stardom began in the fourth season of Clarkson’s Farm, filmed at Clarkson’s 1,000-acre Diddly Squat Farm in Oxfordshire. The series, now a global hit with a fifth season greenlit in November 2024, follows Clarkson’s often hilarious misadventures in agriculture, from battling bureaucracy to wrangling livestock. The piglet, initially overlooked for its small stature, captured viewers’ hearts with its underdog story. In a memorable arc, Richard Ham struggled to gain weight and faced harassment from its fellow pigs, prompting Clarkson to agonize over whether to cull the animal. In a rare display of sentimentality, he spared the piglet, a decision that paid dividends as fans rallied around the tiny survivor.
The pig’s name—a playful jab at Richard Hammond, Clarkson’s mate of over two decades—added a layer of hilarity. Hammond, 60, even made a cameo in season four, advising Clarkson on suspending a vintage tractor from the rafters of The Farmer’s Dog, Clarkson’s farm-adjacent pub. The scene, shot at Hammond’s Herefordshire workshop, The Smallest Cog, crackled with their familiar banter, a nod to their shared history on Top Gear (2002–2015) and The Grand Tour (2016–2024). On social media, fans speculated about a deeper crossover, with one X user joking, “Richard Ham deserves a spin-off with Hammond driving a tractor!”
Clarkson’s partner, Lisa Hogan, recently fanned the flames of Richard Ham’s fame with a social media update that sent fans into a frenzy. Sharing a video on Instagram, Hogan showcased the once-tiny pig, now a “gigantic swine” thriving after months of hand-feeding. “Look who it is!!! It’s Richard ‘porker’ Ham,” she captioned, as an Irish farm worker exclaimed, “Yes, you’re huge!” The clip, posted to the official Clarkson’s Farm fan page, racked up thousands of likes, with comments calling for Richard Ham-themed merch and even a guest spot for Hammond in season five. “This pig is a bigger star than Jeremy now,” one fan quipped on X.
Clarkson’s trademark filing is just the latest in a string of savvy moves to protect his farm’s growing brand. Diddly Squat’s shop, already a tourist magnet pulling in £1.3 million in 2023, sells everything from “Cow Juice” milk to “Bee Juice” honey. Clarkson has secured trademarks for catchphrases like “I am a f***er” (adorning T-shirts) and “I did a thing,” a fan-favorite line from the show. Other filings include “Snail Juice” for skincare, “Diddly Squat Drive” for fragrances that smell suspiciously of manure, and “Grubby Farmer” for a toiletries line that promises to capture the essence of a hard day’s muck. The Farmer’s Dog pub, a season-four highlight, is trademarked for beer mats, glassware, tea towels, clothing, and even spirits like vodka and cider. As Tozer, a trademark law firm, notes, these filings are a “low-cost investment” for long-term brand protection, renewable every decade.
The Richard Ham phenomenon taps into the magic that has made Clarkson’s Farm a cultural juggernaut. Since its 2021 debut, the show has drawn 10 million viewers per season, blending slapstick humor with surprisingly poignant moments—like Clarkson’s emotional struggle over Richard Ham’s fate. The pig’s story resonated deeply, with Reddit threads buzzing about its “runt-to-royalty” arc. One user wrote, “I was gutted thinking Richard Ham wouldn’t make it, but Jeremy saving him was peak Clarkson heart.” Another hoped for a Hammond cameo to “adopt” the pig, tying it to their Top Gear legacy.
That legacy looms large. Clarkson, Hammond, and James May built a global empire with Top Gear’s irreverent car reviews and The Grand Tour’s globe-trotting stunts. Even after their 2015 BBC exit—sparked by Clarkson’s clash with a producer—the trio’s chemistry carried them through seven seasons on Amazon. Their 2024 finale, The Not Very Grand Tour: The Power and The Glory, was a nostalgic capstone, but Clarkson’s Farm has kept the spirit alive, with Hammond’s season-four appearance proving the old gang still has spark. Hammond, a vocal fan, told Yahoo UK, “Naming a pig Richard Ham? That’s the kind of honor I live for.”
The trademark filing hints at more than merch. Insiders suggest Clarkson is mulling a bigger role for Hammond in season five, perhaps tackling farm tasks with his trademark enthusiasm or engineering a hay-bale catapult for laughs. A Gloucestershire Live poll showed 80% of fans want Hammond back, with many envisioning him and farmhand Kaleb Cooper debating pig psychology. Social media is abuzz with ideas: “Richard Ham’s Farmyard Adventures, with Hammond as narrator!” one X user proposed. Another suggested a Christmas special where May referees a Clarkson-Hammond pig-feeding contest.
Critics might dismiss the trademark as a cynical cash-in, but Clarkson’s track record suggests he’s playing a longer game. Top Gear redefined TV; The Grand Tour took it global; Clarkson’s Farm made farming sexy. Richard Ham, with his soulful eyes and improbable fame, is the perfect mascot for this next chapter. As Diddly Squat gears up for another season of mud, mayhem, and market stalls, one thing’s clear: Clarkson’s not just farming pigs—he’s cultivating a legacy. Whether it’s a “Richard Ham” apron or a Hammond cameo wrangling sheep, the Cotswolds’ chaos king is proving that even the smallest runt can spark a revolution.
