‘Crikey, that was close’: Jeremy Clarkson reveals he needed heart procedure

Jeremy Clarkson has shared that he underwent a heart procedure after experiencing a “clammy” sensation upon waking, along with chest tightness and tingling in his left arm.

The 64-year-old ex-Top Gear presenter revealed that he was rushed to the hospital by ambulance, where doctors performed a procedure to insert a stent and clear a blocked artery. This experience made him reflect, "Wow, that was a near miss."

In his column for the Sunday Times, Clarkson described how his health took a sharp turn for the worse following a vacation on a tiny island in the Indian Ocean.

While on the trip, he shared that he needed to pause for a bit to ensure his arms and legs were functioning correctly before facing the challenge of swimming two laps in the pool.

"I felt mostly defeated. I've never had trouble swimming before, but all of a sudden, it became impossible for me. I couldn't even go down a set of stairs without needing to hold onto someone." he explained. "I'm not making this up. Everything changed for me in just one day."

The host of Clarkson's Farm, who resides in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, noted that his "rapid decline started to accelerate" upon returning home.

He recounted, "I woke up on Wednesday morning feeling unwell. I felt sweaty and had a pressure in my chest. Of course, I brushed it off. After loading 30 pigs onto the school bus for the slaughterhouse, I realized my left arm was tingling."

Clarkson shared that he was taken to the John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford, where tests including an ECG, blood tests, and X-rays confirmed he hadn't suffered a heart attack. However, after more examinations, the doctors informed him that he needed to go to the operating room because he was potentially just "days away" from becoming seriously ill.

Clarkson mentioned, "It appears that one of the arteries supplying blood to my heart was entirely blocked, and a second artery out of three was on the verge of getting blocked as well."

He mentioned that a stent was placed to enhance blood circulation to the heart, which can help save lives and prevent future heart attacks. The procedure took roughly two hours. “It wasn't particularly painful, just a bit strange,” he noted.

He mentioned that he was curious about the flavor of water and questioned whether it’s possible to make celery more exciting following his health scare.

In 2017, Clarkson revealed that he needed to give up smoking after he got pneumonia while vacationing in Spain.

Last month, Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May wrapped up their show The Grand Tour on Prime Video.

Clarkson, who has just launched a new pub called the Farmer’s Dog in Asthall, close to Burford, is still actively working on his show Clarkson’s Farm, which features his efforts managing his farm in Oxfordshire. The show is available on Prime Video, and he also continues to host Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? on ITV.