Jeremy Clarkson has launched a furious attack against a series of deeply unsettling AI-generated hoaxes that circulated online, falsely claiming that his close friend and co-star from Clarkson's Farm, Gerald Cooper, had passed away. The former Top Gear presenter expressed his outrage in his regular column, detailing how he encountered multiple fabricated posts on social media platform Facebook.
Disturbing Fabrications Target Diddly Squat Farm
These malicious posts purported to share a cascade of disastrous events supposedly unfolding at Clarkson's Diddly Squat Farm. Among the completely fictitious claims was the assertion that Gerald Cooper – the farm's dry stonewalling expert and head of security, who was diagnosed with cancer during the show's third series – had died. The deceptive content did not stop there, also alleging that Clarkson's partner Lisa had left him, that he himself had broken his leg, and that fellow farmer and father-of-three Kaleb Cooper had welcomed another child.
To lend a veneer of credibility to these outrageous falsehoods, the posts were accompanied by eerily realistic AI-generated photographs. Clarkson branded the entire episode as 'complete nonsense' and issued a direct plea to the perpetrators, telling them to 'pack it in.'
Clarkson's Public Plea and Concerns for Gerald
In his column for The Sun, Clarkson wrote: 'On Facebook this week, we heard from just my farm alone that Gerald has died, Kaleb has had another kid, Lisa has left me, and I’ve broken my leg. All of the stories were accompanied by a completely realistic photograph. And all of them were complete nonsense.'
He elaborated on why he found the situation particularly distressing, stating: 'Do I mind? Yes. Mostly because Gerald is unused to being in the public eye, and it worries him that his kids see this kind of thing online. So whoever’s doing it, pack it in.' Clarkson concluded his remarks with a broader request for AI users to cease digitally removing people's clothes, a nod to recent controversies surrounding similar technology.
Gerald Cooper's Real-Life Health Battle
This cruel hoax stands in stark contrast to the true and positive outcome of Gerald Cooper's health journey. Back in 2024, the beloved Clarkson's Farm star joyfully revealed that he had been declared cancer-free following successful treatment for prostate cancer. His diagnosis had emerged during the filming of the show's third series, with Clarkson recalling the moment he learned his colleague was ill.
At the time, Clarkson expressed his concern, saying: 'I’ve been phoning around, doctors and things I know, and his odds are really good, but it’s scaring him to death. I know he doesn’t understand and he’s bewildered... He’s desperately upset, terrified. Poor man.' Thankfully, a statement in June 2024 confirmed Gerald was 'happy and cancer-free.' Gerald himself said: 'It [his cancer diagnosis] was a shock, but everyone has really supported me. The charity [Prostate Cancer UK] were great, I made it through and am now cancer-free.'
Real Farming Struggles Overshadow Fake News
Jeremy Clarkson scarcely needs manufactured bad news when the authentic challenges of farming life provide ample difficulty. Recently, the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire host and landlord of The Farmer's Dog pub described the situation at his establishment as 'still pretty terrible,' criticising rising taxes and bills which he attributes to a government he claims 'actively hate[s] business.'
The past year has indeed been tough for Diddly Squat Farm. In August 2025, Clarkson took to social media to lament a 'catastrophic' crop failure, stating 'I planted 400,000 beetroot. Two grew,' and criticising a lack of government support. The farm was also struck by an outbreak of bovine tuberculosis (bTB), a devastating disease for UK cattle farmers which necessitates the culling of infected animals. Announcing this news, Clarkson said: 'Bad news from Diddly Squat. We’ve gone down with TB. Everyone here is absolutely devastated.' This blow coincided with the death of one of the farm's puppies, leading Clarkson to remark, 'Honestly, farming? I’m not enjoying it this week.'
The spread of AI-facilitated fake news, targeting individuals like the unassuming Gerald Cooper, adds a modern layer of distress to the already formidable trials of agricultural life, prompting a high-profile call for greater online responsibility.
