Jeremy Clarkson had to be consoled by partner Lisa Hogan during the fourth episode of Clarkson’s Farm season five after deciding it was time to get rid of his pigs.
The animals have been a mainstay at Diddly Squat and in the Amazon series for years, playing a vital role in a number of the show’s storylines.
They were first introduced as a potential new source of income for Diddly Squat back in season three, arriving at the Cotswolds farm in 2023.
However, they’ve also been a source of heartbreak for Mr Clarkson and partner Lisa Hogan, in particular. Clarkson’s Farm fans will remember all too well the spats of piglet deaths that plagued the third run.
Despite the tears, however, the pigs have remained at Diddly Squat – up until now.
In season five, Mr Clarkson decided that it made no financial sense to rear pigs at Diddly Squat following the realisation that they don’t produce enough meat to render a profit.
“I’d known there was only one option,” Mr Clarkson informed viewers after explaining his surprise at the underwhelming money they returned.
Speaking to land agent Charlie Ireland, Mr Clarkson delved into his thinking further: “I love the pigs, I have absolutely… I’ve just been delighted every day I’m down there.
“They make my heart sing. I’m so happy with them. But we’re running a business here. And they make no financial sense at all.”
His voiceover added: “And so, over the next few days, we’d be saying goodbye to all of them.”
Mr Clarkson explained that the timing coincided with the same time that the youngsters were set to be sent for slaughter anyway, but that was little consolation.
And when it came to the mums of the pack, Mr Clarkson’s emotions began to get the better of him.
“It was even harder to say goodbye to the next group because it included one of the mothers from the first batch we bought three years earlier,” he told viewers after bidding farewell to the first group of young male pigs.
“It’s for the better good,” farm manager Kaleb Cooper assured his boss as the pigs were loaded into a trailer, but The Grand Tour star conceded: “It’s still f***ing sad.”
In what was a minor consolation to Mr Clarkson, the last two original mothers, Clumsy and Swizz, weren’t being sent to slaughter.
The pair had been saved from the slaughterhouse and would be homed at an educational facility for students to see and learn from.
“I couldn’t really have handled it if they had gone off to be eaten,” Mr Clarkson commented as the porcine pair were loaded into their trailer.
In a final moment between them, Mr Clarkson began to stroke Swizz: “Who’s a good pig? We’re gonna miss you”.
Moments later, Swizz and Clumsy were driven away, and, while facing away from the camera, Mr Clarkson reached an arm out to Ms Hogan.
“Well, darling, you gave them a great life,” Ms Hogan said before realising her other half was in tears.
As she began hugging her sobbing partner, she stroked his head while saying: “Oh… oh, there, there.”
It’s far from the first time emotions have been high in Clarkson’s Farm, and when the second half of season five arrives, it sounds like there may be plenty more tears on the way.
Teasing the fifth season ahead of its release, executive producer Andy Wilman said: “Entertainment-wise, there’s a lot to laugh at. Jeremy introduces a new breed of EasyCare sheep that he’s absolutely convinced will behave, which, unsurprisingly, causes chaos.
“There’s also the madness of him trying to open a Santa’s grotto at the pub, and the sheer joy of watching Kaleb go abroad for the first time ever.
“But as the series goes on, things take a turn. In the final episodes, it becomes much heavier and more emotional than anything we’ve seen before.
“In many ways, it’s the most personal series yet, not because Jeremy wants to make it about himself, but simply because of circumstance. When the series opens, he’s sidelined with a heart problem, and that shapes everything that follows.”
