Emily Clarkson has issued a fresh plea for men to undergo prostate cancer checks, sharing the poignant advice her father, Jeremy Clarkson, gave during a recent interview. The 66-year-old presenter and writer has been open about his own diagnosis, and his daughter’s social media post – which featured a black-and-white photograph of the pair embracing while holding drinks – urged followers to take his warning seriously.
“Please, please, please go and get checked”
In the post, Emily Clarkson shared one of her father’s quotes from that interview. It read: “This is why I have to say to everybody who’s reading this, please, please, please go and get checked.” The message comes as Jeremy Clarkson, who also starred in the Amazon Prime series Clarkson’s Farm, revealed he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. The diagnosis was made in May 2025 following a routine medical check-up and subsequent biopsy, and the cancer was caught at a “really early stage”. Clarkson told his co-stars Kaleb Cooper and Charlie Ireland during filming of the fifth series, which aired in June 2026, and stated that if he had not been checked it “could have been his last harvest”.
Clarkson underwent surgery to remove part of his prostate – approximately 10% of the gland was affected – but experienced complications when he resumed blood-thinning medication for previous heart issues without consulting a doctor. He described that decision as “a big mistake, huge” and said it led to “a very big emergency in the middle of the night”. The diagnosis followed an earlier health scare in October 2024, when he underwent heart surgery to unblock coronary arteries and was told he was “days away from death”.
Two months ago, a follow-up PSA test confirmed that Clarkson’s prostate cancer is now in remission, though he will require regular blood tests because up to 40% of prostate cancer patients experience recurrence. Despite the ordeal, he has described himself as “the world’s luckiest man” and said he is “perfectly fine” with eyebrows “looking very lustrous”. He also confirmed that the sixth series of Clarkson’s Farm is already being filmed.
A father’s urgent message
Clarkson’s public appeal has been emphatic. He urged “everybody who’s reading this” to get checked, stressing that the test is “not uncomfortable, it’s not undignified” and is “a no-brainer”. He pointed out that prostate cancer screening now often involves a simple blood test, dispelling the myth of a physical examination being required. For those reluctant to ask, he advised: “Just lie to your GP” if you have symptoms – suggesting men invent symptoms such as needing to urinate frequently at night to secure a PSA test. He admitted the diagnosis had taken an emotional toll, having seen many people die from cancer, and described the experience as “very, very, very distressing”.
His openness has already had a measurable impact. Prostate Cancer UK reported a fourfold increase in visits to its online risk checker tool following Clarkson’s revelation, and the charity thanked him for raising “vital awareness”. Clarkson has also formed an informal support group with other public figures who have faced the disease, including former Prime Minister Lord David Cameron and food writer Giles Coren, meeting for lunch to compare notes on their conditions. His story has drawn parallels to other high-profile figures such as Bill Turnbull and Stephen Fry, whose own diagnoses previously increased public awareness. King Charles also revealed an enlarged prostate diagnosis in 2024.
Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in the UK, accounting for 28% of all new male cancer cases. Approximately 64,000 men in Britain are diagnosed each year, and 12,000 die from the disease. Around one in eight men will be diagnosed in their lifetime. There is no national NHS screening programme for prostate cancer, but men aged 50 or over – or from age 45 if they have a family history or are of Black African or Caribbean ethnicity – can request a PSA blood test from their GP.
The black-and-white photograph of Jeremy and Emily Clarkson embracing while holding drinks captured a moment of warmth and solidarity against the backdrop of a difficult year. Emily Clarkson’s post, tagging Prostate Cancer UK, served as a quiet but powerful reminder of the father whose advice she chose to amplify – and the urgency of heeding it.
