Jeremy Clarkson’s partnership with Amazon has been ongoing since 2015, when the TV personality left the BBC amidst alleged “fracas” with a producer allegations. For the last eight years, the star has headlined The Grand Tour and now another series Clarkson’s Farm for the streaming giant. Yet a few months ago, it seemed as if it could be crumbling down after the host wrote an essay about Meghan Markle allegedly being paraded through the streets naked. So, what exactly is going on with the series?
The Essay That Led To Amazon Rumors
The essay the TV host wrote months ago for The Sun posited that he hated Megan Markle – he literally wrote “I hate her.” This line of thinking led into a separate line in which Clarkson likened the former royal to a popular TV series.
At night, I'm unable to sleep as I lie there, grinding my teeth and dreaming of the day when she is made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while the crowds chant, ‘Shame!’ and throw lumps of excrement at her. Everyone who's my age thinks the same way.
Interestingly, his comments echo another article published by The Sun in 2018, that had mentioned a similar sentiment. He’d noted at the time the then-royal had been popular briefly but “after seven minutes” of fame the Internet had turned on her.
At this rate, it won’t be long before she is stripped and forced to walk naked through the streets of York while people with skin diseases chant ‘Shame!’ and throw excrement at her.
Obviously, the naked portion of the essay rolled around quite widely and became a point of contention when it was published, garnering thousands of complaints and an investigation. This second comment above actually happened, however, years before Clarkson’s Farm actually premiered in 2021 for those with an Amazon Prime subscription. It was only when Clarkson repeated the sentiment in a different context that the post went viral in late 2022.
Both comments seemingly reference the famous TV moment in which Game of Thrones character Cersei is tasked with parading naked through the streets. (Lena Headey used a body double for the scene.) Clarkson later apologized for the tact he’d taken, noting he’d “put [his] foot in it” with the comment in the feature, and The Sun removed the article, citing a request from the TV host. Some fans still believed the incident was enough to mark the end of Clarkson’s collaboration with Amazon.
Amazon Comments On The Jeremy Clarkson Incident
After the “I hate her” Meghan Markle article went viral and the Independent Press Standards Organization confirmed it would be looking into what happened, at least some people believed the sometimes-controversial TV host's career would be over. Just a few weeks ago, Amazon head honcho Fozia Khan was asked about Clarkson’s Farm and its potential future on the streamer.
As the lead for unscripted content for UK Originals at Amazon Studios, she said at the Edinburgh TV Festival that the streamer was “shocked” by the comments but ultimately planned to move forward (via The Daily Mail).
I mean, there's lots of conversations going on. But I think the thing that I want to say is that the show is so much bigger than Clarkson. It's a really good show.
Clarkson was alleged to be upset over this statement, and a newer report noted he reportedly had to be talked down over the intimation the show could go on without him. Still, the network certainly has skin in the game. Season 3 of Clarkson’s Farm is currently being filmed for streaming, and while perhaps not one of Amazon's best shows, past seasons have been the streamer’s highest-performing originals when it comes to UK content.
So, Will Clarkson’s Farm Be Renewed By Amazon Prime Video?
Per the latest reports, talks have been ongoing between the former Top Gear host and the streamer who has taken on the majority of his projects in recent years. Per a report at Deadline, "relations" have "improved," meaning all signs point to Clarkson's Farm being renewed for Season 4.
So while the rumor mill has bandied around the possibility of another major 2023 streaming cancellation coming the way of the fans, that may not be the future for the series. At the very least, Season 3 will still be coming to Amazon and Season 4 will probably get the greenlight too, though sources have noted nothing has been finalized at the time of this writing.
Honestly, the backstory behind the series might be more interesting than what's going on in the show itself. Unless you love piglets of course.
