5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Rock legend reaches out to Jeremy Clarkson after 'devastating' Diddly Squat news
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Queen guitarist Brian May's Save Me Trust has extended a helping hand to Jeremy Clarkson following the bovine TB (bTB) outbreak at his farm, despite the pair's previous disagreement over badger culling.
When approached by the charity confirmed that Anne Brummer, who established the organisation alongside Brian in 2009, had reached out to Jeremy after he revealed his Cotswolds farm Diddly Squat - featured in his Prime Video series Clarkson's Farm - had been struck by a TB outbreak.
Jeremy confessed he was "devastated" upon learning his farm had been affected by bTB. On July 31 he shared on X: "Bad news from Diddly Squat. We've gone down with TB. Everyone here is absolutely devastated."
Save Me has spent over a decade examining the root causes of bTB, actively conducting research and campaigning for alterations in how the condition is managed in cattle, reports the Express.
The organisation maintains that the current emphasis on badger culls is misdirected and that cattle-to-cattle transmission plays a more substantial role in spreading the disease.
They have raised concerns about the existing skin test for bTB, arguing it lacks sufficient sensitivity and may fail to detect infected animals.
In 2024 Brian produced a BBC documentary, Brian May: The Badgers, the Farmers and Me in a bid to shift public opinion on the matter.
A contentious badger cull has operated in the UK for the past 12 years, though the government has committed to ending it by 2029. Jeremy Clarkson has previously expressed his strong opinions about badgers, humorously suggesting on Clarkson's Farm that they should be "hit on the head with a hammer" to protect his livestock.
In the past, Jeremy publicly criticised Brian May in a tweet over a decade ago, highlighting the destruction badgers had caused on his property. Last year, speaking to The Telegraph, Brian May remarked: "I don't think it's Jeremy Clarkson's fault because he doesn't know, he's a newcomer to this situation."
He continued, criticising the advice given to Clarkson: "But he's been advised by someone who's telling him that bovine TB can be passed by a cow sniffing a badger's breath. It's laughable. But he's got four million viewers on TV, so unfortunately, people are going to believe it."
Despite their differing stances, Brian harbours no resentment towards the former Top Gear presenter, even after Jeremy's biting comments.
"I would love to have a real heart-to-heart talk with Jeremy Clarkson. He has slagged me off, but I don't really get into that," Brian said during the interview.
