Kaleb Cooper has said he feels “love” for Jeremy Clarkson and admitted missing the former Top Gear host when he went off to film motoring TV series The Grand Tour.
The farming contractor has been known to bicker with the TV presenter, 63, on Prime Video’s reality show Clarkson’s Farm, which sees Cooper help Clarkson with the day-to-day running of Diddly Squat farm.
Speaking in The Times about their friendship, the breakout star of Clarkson’s Farm Cooper said: “I resented Jeremy slightly the first time I met him but not because he had a farm — it was because he asked me to drive the tractor more slowly past his house so his cat could run around safely.
“I ignored that because we were so busy. And to be honest, I didn’t know who he was.
“I didn’t have time to watch TV. Sometimes the odd sports car would be delivered (for a motoring review) and I’d think, ‘who’s this flash git then?’. But we have become quite close now.
“He recently went off to Africa to film The Grand Tour and after a couple of days I actually missed him. He’s been a father figure to me when it comes to understanding TV.
“I’ve learned from the best there is and — I can’t believe I’m saying this — when he’s not pissing me off, there is love there.”
Asked if he would ever take ownership of Clarkson’s farm, he said: “What? Are you joking? No way! I don’t want anything I haven’t earned myself.
“Everything I’ve got I’ve worked bloody hard for, but I don’t want or expect anything beyond that.”
Cooper has now penned his second book, Britain According To Kaleb: The Wonderful World Of Country Life, a follow-up to his bestseller The World According To Kaleb.
Clarkson’s Farm has run for two series and another is on the way.