Jeremy Clarkson reveals 'aggressive' cancer diagnosis in Clarkson's Farm season finale

Jeremy Clarkson has been diagnosed with an "aggressive" form of cancer.

The star and former Top Gear presenter revealed the news in the final episodes of the fifth series of Clarkson's Farm, which premiered overnight.

The revelation came during a conversation with co-stars Charlie and Kaleb Cooper in the Amazon Prime show, when the 66-year-old was discussing the harvest and said, "I've got cancer".

A shocked Kaleb responded, “No, you haven’t. Where?”

“Where it is, is of no concern of anybody. I’ve known since May," Jeremy replied. “I had a medical, you remember, back in May. I disappeared off the other week, and I had a biopsy, and it is cancer, and it’s aggressive, but it’s really early, so the treatment will be, you know.

“I was praying we could get the harvest done and then I could go and get some treatment, but it’s going to be slap bang in the middle.”

Kaleb said: “Look after yourself”, and a visibly upset Charlie added, “Yeah, yeah yeah".

The bombshell news came as the new episodes featured the motoring-turned-farming broadcaster reflecting on a bad year for his health. “So we started the year and I had coronary heart disease and ended it with me with cancer," the Who Wants to Be A Millionaire? host said.

“We can dwell as much as we like on all the bad things that have happened on the farm, but I think it is better now at the end of the year to focus on things that have happened that are good.”

Kaleb then asked: “When will we know if the treatments worked?” Jeremy replies: “I don’t know, I’ve got a blood test today, there’ll be a blood test and then we’ll know. Not for another few weeks. Come on, cheer up, it probably did work.”

The show ended on a sombre note, cutting to the veteran host and columnist in a hospital bed, with Jeremy adding: “So we started season five with me in a hospital bed, and we are at the end of season five and I’m back in a hospital bed.

“Some of the treatment has gone awry, let's say. I’m going to be here for a little while. I’m nil by mouth; I don't know what's going to happen. What I wanted to say was if this is all successful, I'll see you for season six, and if it isn’t, I won’t. Take care, everyone.”

Clarkson studied journalism courses at The Sheffield College (then known as the Richmond College) in the late 1970s and also worked at the Rotherham Advertiser.

He was born in Sprotbrough near Doncaster, and attended two private schools his family afforded by selling Paddington Bear teddies - first at Hill House School in South Yorkshire, and then later Repton School in Derbyshire.

Series five of the hugely successful show, which follows Clarkson and his band of workers as they run Diddly Squat Farm in Oxfordshire, opened and closed with the star in hospital - initially after a heart scare and at the end, with his cancer treatment.

The former Grand Tour host, father to daughters Emily and Katya and son Finlo, and grandfather to Arlo and Xanthe, posted on Instagram before the shows were released, and said: “Ordinarily, we try to keep the show bucolic and charming and cheerful. But the final two episodes, which drop in the middle of the night tonight, are none of those things really.”

He added: “They’re a difficult watch. They’re really, really difficult.”

• RELATED: Pride of Yorkshire trail raises £575,000 for Children's Hospital
• RELATED: Sheffielders have their say on staff pay to park at city's hospitals
• RELATED: Government to crack down on ‘cosmetic cowboys on the high street
• RELATED: Grandad who survived cancer diagnosis now working for hospital that saved him