Jeremy Clarkson slams Government over cancer test change

The broadcaster, 66, recently revealed his “aggressive” prostate cancer diagnosis in May 2025 on Clarkson’s Farm.

Fortunately, it was caught early and treated successfully, and he has since confirmed he is now in remission.

His criticism comes after the Government proposed scrapping the automatic right for men over 50 to request a free prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, used to help detect prostate cancer.

Instead, GPs will decide on a case-by-case basis whether a patient should be offered the blood test.

Until last week, men over 50 were entitled to a free PSA prostate cancer check. But the government has now decided to withdraw that right. I cannot for the life of me work out what their reasoning might be.

— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) August 16, 2026

Speaking on X, Mr Clarkson said: “Until last week, men over 50 were entitled to a free PSA prostate cancer check.

“But the Government has now decided to withdraw that right.

“I cannot for the life of me work out what their reasoning might be.”

His announcement on the Amazon Prime show, filmed at Diddly Squat Farm in Oxfordshire, led to more than 50,000 men using Prostate Cancer UK’s online risk checker in the following week.

He is among several high-profile figures, including Lord David Cameron and former Blue Peter presenter Peter Duncan, who have credited PSA tests with helping to detect their cancer.

The policy change follows the Government’s rejection of widespread prostate cancer screening.

Instead, a more limited programme will target men at very high genetic risk, specifically those with a BRCA2 gene variant and relevant family history.

The diagnosis came almost two years after Mr Clarkson underwent a heart procedure, which saw him fitted with two stents.