I haven’t conquered them yet: Jeremy Clarkson has yet to impress the Cotswold locals

“I’m sure some of that is rooted in my past, and I’m driving and speeding through corners screaming, and they don’t find that appealing.

“As for the farm, it’s pretty neatly divided between people with house numbers — you know, 22 Oak Avenue or 3 Grove or whatever — who tend to support us, because we bring business to the area and jobs for them. children. Some of them are happy to enjoy a good beer with a beautiful view right on the road. So that works.

“If they have a common name, they tend not to like us, because they tend to move here from London quite recently, and they don’t want a lot of people going to the farm shop, so that’s how I see it. is division. It’s about as tight as I can put it.

Clarkson bought the farm in 2008, but only took over running it himself in 2019.

The Top Gear presenter had previously received a bad reaction from some villagers after he expanded his farming business to include a farm shop and restaurant – which was later discontinued. ordered to close after two planning applications were rejected by West Oxfordshire County Council – leading to significant traffic congestion around the area as the TV presenter’s fans flocked to visit.

Clarkson also revealed the outcome of a meeting he held with locals in which his lack of a degree in agriculture and celebrity status came under scrutiny.

“I can assure you, those of you who spoke up early, I was completely unconvinced. I lost them years ago,” he admitted.

“The people who speak first are the ones who really want to take that off.”

However, Clarkson said there are “lots” of other locals who are more receptive and even encourage his work.

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He added: “But I think the room with a lot of people in it was fine with me.

“One man said, ‘I’ve lived in this village for 50 years. Got a job for my kids (now). My house is worth more. I can go up there and have a nice beer and enjoy the view. It’s the best thing that’s happened to the area in the 50 years since I’ve lived here.”

“It turned out that there was that attitude. They are very happy. And to be honest, the farm shop is more than a mile from the village so there really isn’t any consequence for the people who really hate me, hate the farm shop, and hate popularity.”

In December, Clarkson’s column in The Sun newspaper, in which he said he “hated” the Duchess of Sussex and dreamed of her being paraded through British towns and humiliated in public them, has become the most complained article of the Independent Press Standards Organization.

Despite the backlash Clarkson received due to the comments, earlier this month an Amazon spokesperson confirmed that the third Clarkson’s Farm series is “currently in production with a view to premiere at a later date.” .

Clarkson’s Farm series 2 will premiere on Prime Video on February 10.