Jeremy Clarkson speaks out against Brian May’s defence of “bastard” badgers

Jeremy Clarkson has spoken out against Brian May‘s defence of what the former calls “bastard” badgers.

May, the Queen guitarist, has long supported the protection of the animal and has lead campaigns against their culling.

Clarkson, meanwhile, has documented his struggles with badgers on his Amazon Prime Video series Clarkson’s Farm, highlighting how the animals can damage property and also spread bovine tuberculosis to cattle.

Speaking to The Daily Mail ahead the launch of the second series, Clarkson explained how tackling the subject proved to be challenging.

“We thought, ‘What do we do?’ because if you want to make a popular show you have to say, ‘Oh, look at the little cuddly-wuddly badgers,’” he said.

“But I thought: no, it’s a farming show, and you’d lose your core audience – the farmers – if you went around saying, ‘Look at these sweet little animals.’”

He continued: “So, I actually called them bastards and showed people what they actually do. It’s truthful.

“These are not nice animals. Do not be fooled by Brian May. This is what badgers do. This is how much heartache they’re causing to people who’ve worked for generations to build up a farm that’s been wiped out by badgers.”

Clarkson previously spoke out against May’s defence of badgers, tweeting a photo of a collapsed wall in 2013. Alongside the image, he wrote: “Dear Brian May out of Queen. Look what some bastard badgers have done to my wall.”

Dear Brian May out of Queen. Look what some bastard badgers have done to my wall. pic.twitter.com/BHUkpwoceM

— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) October 6, 2013

Between 2013 and 2014 a cull was introduced to help prevent the spread of bovine tuberculosis. A year later, May led a funeral parade through London in honour of the killed badgers. In the UK it is presently illegal to hunt and kill the animal.

Clarkson’s Farm series two will arrive on Prime Video on February 10, less than a month after Amazon reportedly cut ties with the presenter following his recent comments about Meghan Markle.

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