Jeremy Clarkson’s ‘Richard Ham’ Pig Triggers Trademark Rush – Is Hammond Fighting for Legal Rights to His Name?

Jeremy Clarkson’s Farmyard Empire Grows: Richard Hammond-Inspired Pig ‘Richard Ham’ Fuels Crossover and Merchandise Buzz

Chadlington, Cotswolds – October 21, 2025 – Jeremy Clarkson, the motoring maverick turned farming folk hero, is stirring up a new kind of horsepower at his Diddly Squat Farm. The Clarkson’s Farm star is reportedly planning a crossover extravaganza with his long-time collaborator Richard Hammond, centered around a piglet with a name that’s pure cheek: Richard Ham. This porcine tribute, introduced in the fourth season of the Prime Video hit, has trotted from a farmyard gag to the heart of a potential merchandising juggernaut, with Clarkson eyeing everything from T-shirts to Christmas baubles emblazoned with the pig’s name.

The news, broken by The Daily Star, reveals that Clarkson, 65, has applied to the UK’s Intellectual Property Office to trademark “Richard Ham” for an ambitious array of products. The list is as eclectic as Clarkson’s farming experiments: clothing lines (imagine hoodies with a winking pig), homewares like mugs and tea towels, gardening gear for aspiring Diddly Squatters, cookbooks stuffed with farm-fresh recipes, and even festive decorations to deck the halls with Hammond-inspired hams. It’s a bold move that blends Clarkson’s knack for branding with the irreverent humor that defined his two-decade partnership with Hammond and James May on Top Gear and The Grand Tour.

The Richard Ham saga began in season four of Clarkson’s Farm, released earlier this year, when Clarkson named a runty piglet after his pint-sized co-star. Filmed at Diddly Squat Farm in the Cotswolds, the series has captivated millions with its blend of agricultural chaos, heartfelt moments, and Clarkson’s signature bluster. The pig, small but spirited, became an instant fan favorite, especially after a comedic subplot involving its gender confusion and social struggles among the herd. In episode six, farmhand Kaleb Cooper raised concerns about Richard Ham’s stunted growth and tail-wagging behavior, which mimicked a female pig, leading to a hilariously awkward scene of porcine bullying that Clarkson dubbed “the most disturbing” in the show’s history. Spared from slaughter due to its diminutive size, Richard Ham emerged as a scrappy survivor, much like Hammond himself, who famously cheated death in a 2006 Top Gear crash.

Hammond’s own cameo in the same season added fuel to the crossover fire. The 60-year-old, known for his mechanical wizardry, was roped in to help Clarkson suspend a vintage Massey Ferguson tractor from the ceiling of The Farmer’s Dog, Clarkson’s farm-adjacent pub. Filmed at Hammond’s Herefordshire workshop, The Smallest Cog, the segment was a nostalgic nod to their Top Gear days, complete with barbs about Hammond’s height and Clarkson’s rural rebrand. “You’re actually on the show now,” Clarkson teased in the season’s trailer, hinting at deeper ties to come. Fans lapped it up, with X posts buzzing about the “Hammond Ham” synergy and Reddit threads speculating on a full-blown Grand Tour-style farm takeover.

The crossover potential is no small potatoes. Clarkson and Hammond, alongside the ever-stoic James May, built a global fanbase through 22 years of automotive antics, from Top Gear’s 2002 relaunch to The Grand Tour’s finale in 2024. Their chemistry – equal parts bickering and brotherhood – carried them through controversies, including Clarkson’s 2015 BBC exit after a fracas with a producer, to Amazon’s streaming empire. Clarkson’s Farm, launched in 2021, has since racked up four seasons, with a fifth confirmed last November, reportedly drawing 10 million viewers per episode and boosting Diddly Squat’s farm shop to £1.3 million in sales in 2023 alone. Hammond, a self-professed fan, has praised the show’s authenticity, joking on This Morning about being “banned” from the farm only to later appear in its muddy midst.

Now, with Richard Ham as the unlikely linchpin, Clarkson seems poised to merge his farming fame with the trio’s legacy. The trademark filing suggests a merchandising push that could rival Diddly Squat’s existing hits, like “Cow Juice” milk and “Bee Juice” honey. But it’s not just about cashing in. Sources hint at a broader crossover for season five, set for 2026, with Hammond potentially returning to wrangle livestock or tinker with farm machinery. Picture him debating pig-rearing with Kaleb Cooper or rigging a hay-baler with the same gusto he once applied to rocket-powered Minis. Lisa Hogan, Clarkson’s partner and the farm’s resident egg-collector, recently stoked the hype with an Instagram post showcasing a now-chunky Richard Ham. “Look who it is!!! It’s Richard ‘porker’ Ham,” she wrote, as the pig rooted gleefully, hand-fed to hefty proportions.

Clarkson’s trademark ambitions extend beyond the pig. Recent filings include “Snail Juice” for skincare, “Diddly Squat Drive” for perfumes, and “Grubby Farmer” for toiletries, alongside The Farmer’s Dog for everything from cider to cutlery. Legal experts at Tozer note that trademarks are a “low-cost” way to protect intellectual property for a decade, safeguarding Clarkson’s empire from imitators. It’s a strategy that mirrors his farm’s own evolution: chaotic, creative, and defiantly profitable.

Fans are eating it up. A Gloucestershire Live poll found 82% want more Hammond on the farm, with some dubbing Richard Ham “Diddly Squat’s MVP.” On X, users have floated ideas for a spin-off: “Richard Ham’s Farmyard Diaries, narrated by Hammond!” one wrote. Another suggested a Christmas special where May judges a tractor-pull between Clarkson and Hammond. The pig’s social media stardom, amplified by Hogan’s posts, has even sparked fan art of Richard Ham in a tiny Top Gear helmet.

Skeptics might call it a cash grab, but Clarkson’s track record suggests otherwise. Top Gear redefined car shows; The Grand Tour globalized them; Clarkson’s Farm made turnips a personality trait. The Richard Ham gambit is less about milking nostalgia than bottling the trio’s magic for a new era. Hammond, for his part, seems delighted, telling Yahoo UK, “A pig named after me? It’s an honour, really. I’ve survived worse insults.”

As Diddly Squat gears up for another season of storms, subsidies, and swearing, Richard Ham stands as a testament to Clarkson’s gift for turning the mundane into must-watch TV. Whether it’s a tractor dangling in a pub or a pig sparking a merchandising empire, the Clarkson-Hammond saga proves one thing: in the Cotswolds, as in cars, the real spark comes from the friction between friends. So, grab your wellies and a “Richard Ham” apron – the farmyard’s about to get a lot rowdier.