James May, a close friend and colleague of Jeremy Clarkson, has stated that the television presenter is "over the hurdle" in his recovery from prostate cancer. Clarkson publicly revealed his diagnosis with "aggressive" prostate cancer in June, having been diagnosed in May of the previous year.
May, 63, said he spoke with Clarkson a couple of weeks prior to his comments and believes Clarkson is on the mend. The update came during an appearance on Matt Allwright's Channel 5 show, where the topic of lowering the drinking age was discussed. When asked about Clarkson's well-being, May responded, "He's fine, as far as I can tell. I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago, and I think he's over the hurdle."
Clarkson had secretly undergone high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment to target the tumor before announcing his diagnosis. This came after a period of heart problems, which he has described as terrifying. Clarkson admitted that his brush with these health issues has given him a renewed appreciation for life.
He chose to go public with his health crisis during the fifth series of his show, Clarkson's Farm, explaining that his treatment schedule would necessitate significant filming absences. Towards the end of the final episode of that series, Clarkson was shown in a hospital bed. He later revealed this was after restarting blood-thinning medication for his heart issues without consulting his doctors, leading to an emergency hospitalization.
"Two or three weeks after the cancer operation, I thought I'd better put myself back on those blood thinners. Big mistake, huge. It [resulted in] a very big emergency in the middle of the night," Clarkson told The Sunday Times. He described the required treatment as "horrible."
Clarkson is now urging men to undergo prostate cancer screenings, sharing his experience as a cautionary tale. "I am without a doubt, officially, the world's luckiest man," he stated. The sequence of health challenges began with emergency heart surgery in 2024, where he received two life-saving stents. A malignant tumor was discovered in his prostate in August, leading to the secret operation during his harvest.
"It was an aggressive type of cancer," he said. "It could have spread, it could have gone into the pancreas... and that would have been trouble." He emphasized the importance of early detection, urging, "This is why I have to say to everybody who's reading this, please, please, please go and get checked. It's not uncomfortable, it's not undignified. And it's a no-brainer. I did, and that's why I'm sitting here talking to you 11 months down the line."
His diagnosis followed a routine medical examination in May of the previous year, which revealed unusually high prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. Subsequent scans and a biopsy confirmed the cancer. The HIFU treatment targeted the affected area without damaging surrounding tissue, aiming to avoid side effects like erectile dysfunction and incontinence. Clarkson has credited his early diagnosis for the successful treatment.
In a video message, Clarkson expressed his gratitude, stating, "So, a bit of a year. But I am delighted to tell you that season 6 of Clarkson's Farm is currently being filmed. It's in production." The post was captioned, "Delighted to confirm that Series 6 of Clarkson's Farm is in production."