Jeremy Clarkson has expressed his fury and issued a plea over fabricated Facebook posts falsely claiming that a member of his Clarkson’s Farm cast had passed away.
The 65-year-old television presenter discovered a series of AI-generated hoaxes circulating on social media, which included the disturbing false report that Gerald Cooper, the show’s beloved dry stone wall expert and unofficial “head of security,” had died.
Mr Clarkson described the posts as “completely realistic” and said he was left “disgusted” by the misleading content targeting his Prime Video show’s cast members.
The fake stories appeared alongside convincing artificial intelligence-created photographs designed to lend credibility to the fabricated claims, prompting the former Top Gear host to publicly condemn those responsible for spreading the misinformation.
Jeremy Clarkson slammed the false AI reports
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Beyond the false death report about Gerald, the hoax campaign spread several other invented stories about the Diddly Squat Farm team.
One fabricated post claimed that Mr Clarkson’s partner Lisa Hogan had ended their relationship, while another suggested the presenter himself had suffered a broken leg.
The misinformation also extended to farm hand Kaleb Cooper, with fake reports stating he had become a father for the fourth time.
Each of these entirely fictitious stories was accompanied by AI-generated imagery that appeared authentic enough to potentially deceive viewers scrolling through their social media feeds.
One false AI report claimed that Gerald Cooper had died
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None of the claims had any basis in reality, with Mr Clarkson confirming in his column for The Sun that every single story was “complete nonsense” despite the convincing visual material attached to them.
Mr Clarkson made clear his frustration extended beyond personal annoyance, expressing particular concern for Gerald’s wellbeing.
“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,” he wrote.
“All of the stories were accompanied by a completely realistic photograph. And all of them were complete nonsense.”
Jeremy Clarkson was left ‘disgusted’ by the fake stories
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He added: “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.”
The presenter’s plea highlighted how such fabricated content affects not just public figures but their families too.
The false reports about Gerald’s death were particularly cruel given his genuine health struggles documented on the programme.
During filming for the third series of Clarkson’s Farm, Gerald received a diagnosis of prostate cancer, with the emotional moment captured on camera.
Jeremy Clarkson urged the reports to ‘stop’
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Mr Clarkson spoke at the time about his co-star’s distress, stating: “I’ve been phoning around, doctors and things I know, and his odds are really good, but it’s scaring him to death.”
He added: “I know he doesn’t understand and he’s bewildered because, for obvious reasons, somebody said, ‘Look, I’m sorry it’s cancer’, and that’s all he heard. He’s desperately upset, terrified. Poor man.”
However, Gerald, who has appeared on the Prime Video show since its 2021 debut, announced in 2024 that he was “happy and cancer-free” following successful treatment.