Pete Wicks was left red-faced on the National Television Awards red carpet after Clarkson’s Farm star Kaleb Cooper made a cheeky comment during a brief interview outside London’s O2 Arena on Wednesday.
Kaleb approached Wicks and fellow reality star Sam Thompson before the ceremony and rebuffed an attempted embrace, saying, "No hugging, only because you have got some serious amount of fake tan on!" Wicks responded by joking, "Basically I'm a Wotsit in a wig," and quipped about Kaleb’s hair, asking, "Did you stick that down today? If there's a gust of wind he's in trouble." Thompson laughed and intervened, saying, "I'm going to have to split this up!"
The lighthearted red-carpet moment preceded Clarkson’s Farm being named winner in the Factual Entertainment category later in the evening. Jeremy Clarkson, who fronts the Amazon Prime series, delivered a rambling and occasionally self-deprecating acceptance speech that touched on his recent weight-loss treatment and a serious health scare he experienced last year.
On stage, Clarkson joked about using the diabetes drug Mounjaro, saying, "I should explain I'm on Mounjaro, my trousers are falling down," as his partner, Lisa Hogan, steadied him. He thanked the public and the show’s cast and crew for their work but initially omitted thank yous to Hogan, who raised her hand and rolled her eyes as colleagues laughed. Clarkson also quipped that his team "worked way harder than anyone else in this room."
Clarkson has publicly discussed switching from Ozempic, which he said "didn't work" for him, to Mounjaro, which he described as "game-changing." He told reporters he has lost about two stone since starting treatment. In previous columns he said Ozempic left him feeling unwell and that microdosing Mounjaro ultimately regulated his appetite and blood sugar more effectively.
Clarkson’s comments on-stage followed revelations about a frightening illness he endured between August and October last year. While opening his new pub, The Farmer's Dog, the presenter said he became progressively sicker and only later learned he had been close to a life-threatening condition. He underwent an urgent two-hour operation to hold open arteries, improve blood flow to his heart and relieve chest pain. Clarkson told The Times that doctors advised him that some of his current work might have to stop and joked that he could replace it with golf, though he said he was unlikely to give up working.
The new series of Clarkson’s Farm began streaming on Prime with its first four episodes released on Friday. In his acceptance remarks, Clarkson named several cast members and thanked the public for voting, while the broader awards ceremony celebrated winners across drama, comedy and entertainment.
Other winners announced at the NTAs included EastEnders for Serial Drama and Strictly Come Dancing in the Talent category. Michael McIntyre’s Big Show won the Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award. The ceremony brought together nominees and winners from a wide range of British television genres in front of a packed audience at the O2.
The red-carpet exchange between Wicks and Kaleb — and Clarkson’s on-stage jokes about weight-loss drugs and his recent health crisis — provided moments of levity amid the evening’s tributes to television productions and performers. Clarkson’s Farm’s award follows increased public attention on the series, which blends farming challenges with the presenter’s trademark commentary and which has prompted discussion about both its on-screen personalities and Clarkson’s off-screen health and lifestyle choices.