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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Women are farmers too, says Jeremy Clarkson's new sidekick
She has given Kaleb a run for his money and now Harriet Cowan wants to be a voice for young farmers. The 24-year-old, from Derbyshire, has become Jeremy Clarkson's new sidekick on the latest series of his popular show Clarkson's Farm, standing in for Kaleb Cooper for three episodes while he toured. She describes herself as both a full-time farmer and nurse, working as a community nurse in Belper when she is not on the farm. But she says her appearance in the Amazon Prime series has given her a new opportunity to speak up on farmers' mental health, be a voice for young, female farmers and attempt to change stereotypes of farming. The programme has proved a major hit for the streaming giant since it first aired in 2021 and is now into its fourth season. Harriet's appearances in the show have provided a further window into the mental pressures faced by the farming community. "It's the unknown all the time," she said. "You don't know if the grass is going to grow, you don't know how much the fertiliser is going to cost, you don't know how much you're going to sell that cow for. "It's hard because you're in an industry where a lot of the time you work alone, and we do. It's lonely, you don't have anyone to talk to. "I've seen a lot of farmers shut off since Covid, and they don't want to go out and socialise anymore because they're used to being isolated. "We lost a lot of social skills. Now, it's about building them back up and getting farmers to talk again and tell people about the challenges they're facing. "If I can do anything, I'm going to use the platform to promote the mental health aspect in farming and if I can save one life, it's something." Listen: Harriet tells BBC Radio Derby about working with Jeremy Clarkson Harriet says she also wants to challenge stereotypes of farming. "I think when you talk to somebody and ask what they stereotypically think of when someone says farmer they say '60-year-old man with a checked shirt and a beer belly', and a lot of the time that is it, but us women are out here and farmers too," she said. "Just because I'm a small, blonde that likes to curl her hair and wear make-up, it doesn't mean I can't be a farmer. "I'm trying to change the norm of the man being the farmer and the woman being the stay-at-home wife and cook. "When the war was on, women did all the farming, so we have always farmed - it's just changing that stereotype." Harriet said she was approached to take part in the show by land agent Charlie Ireland – nicknamed "Cheerful Charlie" by Clarkson on the show - but admitted she had not watched a single episode before filming began. "It worked so much better I think because I didn't know what to expect. I just went out and did what I'd do on my farm," she said. "Every farm is slightly different but at the end of the day you all have the same goal. You're there to farm the land and look after your animals. "Jeremy was no different. He's the same as every other farmer I know. He just wanted to achieve something with his farm and look after his animals and get the best out of it. "Growing up, I never watched Top Gear and we don't watch a lot of TV, so he was just another farmer for me. Flat peak cap and a checked shirt. "Genuinely, that man just wants to achieve something with his farm. He really does want to learn as well, which is the best bit for me." Harriet says the show is truly authentic and nothing much changes when the cameras stop rolling. "I didn't have to worry about any cameras or anything. You forgot they were even there," she said. "We just went along, farmed and did our day-to-day stuff. Any bits that were funny were just authentically funny because that was our dynamic. "It's nice to keep it light-hearted on a farm because it's such a serious job. "We don't really change for the cameras coming on. We just get our heads down, farm and they do what they need to do to get the bits they need. "There was a lot of work there with the pigs. Every day sent a new challenge. It was good fun. It was hard work but farming is hard work." Harriet said she was pleased with the warm response to her time on the show. "I am blown away. I can't thank people enough for how nice and positive everything's been," she said. "I'm shocked because I didn't realise that many people were interested in me and what I do day-to-day. I've never really thought of it as anything that's exciting, it's just my little life. I get up and farm, I go to work and come back and farm. "The way that it's blown up on social media and even walking down the street seeing people recognise us is absolutely crazy." Harriet had a slightly frosty start to meeting Kaleb on the show but says they have become good friends since filming. "Kaleb's amazing - me and him are so close now," she said. "He's such a good farmer and we got on really well. He's another farmer to add to my phone list to ring. "Everyone checks in to make sure everyone's fine. The farm is two and a bit hours away, so it's crazy to be talking to Kaleb, Jeremy, Gerald and Charlie and asking what the weather is like." Harriet now has to decide what to do next with her new-found platform. "My life is going to be constantly farming. I'm never not going to farm, and I know it," she said. "I've just got to find a way to use what platform I've got to promote women in the industry and mental health. "You're never getting me off the farm, they'll have to take me screaming and kicking." Harriet says the door has been left open for her to potentially appear on future seasons of the show. She said: "We've left it very open. I'm here if he needs me, but no plans at the moment." Follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. Council denies Clarkson's claims it was 'awkward' Show makes people aware of what farmers 'go through' Running pub 'more stressful' than farm - Clarkson
BBC News
03-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Job done' - Eustace reacts to Derby's survival
Derby County head coach John Eustace spoke to BBC Radio Derby after the Rams secured Championship safety with a goalless draw against Stoke City."The job's done and that's the most important thing," he said."What a fantastic effort from everyone connected with the football club. The players have been outstanding every day in training they have dedicated themselves to getting to this moment and I couldn't be any more proud of them."The fans, home and away have been outstanding as well. During some really difficult moments no-one stopped believing and if you believe in what you are doing you always have a chance. And here we are with us still in the Championship."
BBC News
02-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Important that we finish the job
Head coach John Eustace says Derby County have repeatedly defied expectations since his arrival in 45-year-old started his final pre-game press conference of the season by telling BBC Radio Derby that he felt the Rams have long been seen as relegation wins in the past 10 games, including a dramatic 1-0 victory against Hull City last week, means they can secure safety on the final day if they beat Stoke City."I felt like a lot of people had given up," Eustace said. "But it is still not over yet, we have one more huge game on Saturday."The amount of effort and work the group and the fans have put in to make sure we get to this situation has been there for everyone to see and it's important that we finish the job off."Eustace also went to great lengths to outline a 'keep calm and carry on' approach to the season-defining showdown with the victory would assure Derby's safety against fellow relegation-threatened Stoke, the final-day permutations for six sides in danger of having their Championship stay ended on Saturday are exhaustively mapped out in this can listen to all that Eustace had to say to BBC Radio Derby on the latest episode of the Rams Daily podcast on BBC Sounds.
BBC News
29-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
BBC presenter's melanoma campaign "saved our lives"
A couple has credited a BBC presenter's campaign to raise awareness of skin cancer risks with saving their his death from melanoma skin cancer in 2015, BBC Radio Derby's Colin Bloomfield, 33, set up the Colin Bloomfield Sun Safe Campaign, with help from the Nottinghamshire-based charity Skcin, to try to prevent similar deciding to get their skin checked out by doctors because of Mr Bloomfield's campaign, John and Linda Williams, from Mackworth in Derbyshire, were told they had moles that were both getting the all clear from doctors, Mrs Williams said: "Finding it early is vital and had we left it any longer, things would be a lot, lot worse." 'We were very lucky' Mr Williams said he found a mark, about a millimetre in size, on his left knee that he had never been worried about until the Sun Safe Campaign appeal was launched in campaign directly inspired 479 people to get their skin checked out by experts, more than 100 of whom were urged to go for further November 2015, Mr Williams said he noticed the mark was "noticeably darker" when he returned home from a holiday in the having a check-up with a dermatologist in February 2016, they took the mole out and tests revealed it was April 2016, they then took a larger amount of skin and tests showed he was then cancer to BBC Radio Derby in 2016, Mr Williams said: "All the work and publicity that Colin Bloomfield did, detected my melanoma at an early stage."I think Colin Bloomfield has made a tremendous impact in what he has done for me." After her husband received the all clear, Mrs Williams decided she wanted to get a mark on her face checked out by doctors in July 2016."I had an original biopsy that found nothing on my mark", said Mrs Williams."When they looked at it again after it was removed, they found melanoma in the middle of it. We were both very lucky to catch the cancer at an early stage."Mrs Williams said the campaign has been "very important" to her and her husband and she has now urged people to get their moles checked out."If we see anyone with a mark or a mole, we always tell them to get it checked out and we want to help them with that first step," she added."Colin's legacy has reached a lot of people and it has saved both of our lives."It's better to be safe than sorry, so buying sun cream and putting it on could save your life."During a recent trip to Trinidad and Tobago, the couple said they ensured they wore factor 50 sun cream "in the morning, afternoon and reapplied again after swimming."
BBC News
26-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Rams just keep fighting
Derby County head coach John Eustace spoke to BBC Radio Derby after his side snatched a crucial 1-0 victory against relegation rivals Hull City."I'm just very proud of the efforts, the boys were outstanding again today. It was a fantastic result," Eustace said."Since I've been here this group of players has been written off time after time, but we just keep going and keep fighting."The Championship is relentless, you can't get carried away with the highs and the lows. It's an emotional time for everyone and you just have to keep cool and I thought the way the lads performed today was excellent."
