Former Top Gear Host Jeremy Clarkson Shares Health Update After Emergency Heart Surgery

British television presenter and journalist Jeremy Clarkson, famed for hosting “Top Gear” and “The Grand Tour” as well as his roles on “Clarkson’s Farm” and “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”, recently revealed that he had undergone emergency heart surgery.

Clarkson found himself facing a life-threatening situation, necessitating an urgent operation to clear blocked arteries. The former “Grand Tour” host has since released an update to the The Sun, explaining:

“I’m very grateful to everyone who sent supportive messages but I’m fine.

“I just have to not do any manual labour or dishwasher emptying for the next four years.

“At least I think that’s what the doctor said.”

Clarkson began to experience unusual symptoms during a recent vacation. Simple physical activities such as swimming and walking brought on disconcerting sensations and clamminess, alongside a concerning tightness in his chest. The irregularities persisted upon his return to his home at Diddly Squat Farm in the Cotswolds. Despite trying to carry on, Clarkson noticed numbness and a tingling sensation in his left arm. These were precursors to a rapid medical intervention that saw him rushed to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

At the hospital, doctors found that one of Clarkson’s arteries was completely blocked, with a second inching toward the same fate. The situation raised an urgent question about the need for a bypass surgery, but, fortunately, a less invasive method was viable.

Writing in his column for The Sunday Times, Clarkson explained:

“I was at the breakfast table and when I stood up to leave, I had to take a moment to make sure my limbs were working properly.

“It seems that of the arteries feeding my heart with nourishing blood, one was completely blocked and the second of three was heading that way.

“The question was this.

“Were the arteries so ruined that I’d need an emergency heart bypass?

“Or could he use Dyno-Rods and ultrasonic battering rams to loosen them up before inserting a stent?

“Mercifully, this turned out to be possible.”

He added:

“I was off to the operating theatre.

“Because my bankruptcy was most definitely just around the corner. Days away? ‘Maybe’, he (a doctor) said.”

This latest health scare is not Clarkson’s first. In 2017, he battled pneumonia while vacationing in Spain, which ultimately persuaded him to quit smoking. Yet, even amid his humorous recounting, the gravity of the event was not lost on him. “Crikey, that was close,” he admitted.

Despite these health hurdles, Clarkson is determined to continue with his various projects. His popular series “Clarkson’s Farm,” which offers an amusing yet insightful look at his life as a farmer, is entering its fourth season. He is also channeling his experiences into written form, working on a book revolving around life on his farm.