JEREMY CLARKSON hopes his Hawkstone Farmers’ Choir will field off their rivals tonight to secure a spot in the Britain’s Got Talent final.
The singers would love him to appear on TV with them . . . but in the audience, not on stage, as they say he’s totally tone-deaf.
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The Hawkstone Farmers’ Choir would love Jeremy Clarkson to appear on TV with them . . . but not in the traditional way that viewers might expectCredit: Refer to source
The singers want Jezza in the audience and not on stage – after revealing he’s totally tone-deaf Credit: Getty
Nevertheless, Jezza will be their biggest cheerleader as they tune up for the live semis later.
Praising the former Top Gear presenter for his unwavering support, performer Ted Howard-Jones said: “He’s very genuine. When we’ve had the odd rehearsal together or been doing some filming, he’s great fun.
“I don’t necessarily want him to join the choir full time, though. He doesn’t understand harmonies.
“He was standing in our tenor section doing the Christmas adverts, and he said, ‘You’re singing the wrong tune, guys’. And we said, ‘No, we’re singing the tenor harmony’. He’s not used to singing in a choir.”
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Fellow farming chorister Ben Brooke added: “I don’t think BGT will be his thing . . . but who knows? Maybe he’ll be in the audience. You never know.”
And singer Katryna Shell said having Jeremy’s backing has been amazing as he embraces and promotes the highs and lows of farming life.
“He is exactly how he is on TV,” said the mum-of-three. “He’s so nice. He has time for everybody. He likes to tell amazing stories
“He’s genuinely interested in our journey.”
The Hawkstone Farmers’ Choir reduced one of the judges to tears on BGT Credit: ITV
Jeremy Clarkson, seen here singing carols and drinking beer with them, brought the choir together in 2024 Credit: Supplied
The choir, featuring hard-grafting members of the agricultural community, was founded by Jezza in 2024 as part of an advertising campaign for his Hawkstone beer, which viewers of his Amazon Prime show, Clarkson’s Farm, will have seen him developing.
But once the booze promos were in hand, the singers stayed together and have revealed the group is a great boost for their mental health in an often lonely line of work.
They proved a massive hit when they auditioned for BGT and got a free pass to tonight’s semi-finals after judge Amanda Holden hit the golden buzzer. She had been reduced to tears by their version of Elbow’s One Day Like This.
Jezza said their performance made his “heart sing” and admitted to welling up. Choir member Katryna said: “I think Jeremy wants us to succeed. He’s realised from doing what he’s doing that farming’s blooming hard, mentally, physically, emotionally.”
The choir is sponsored by Jeremy’s Hawkstone brewery. Hailing from all over the country, the collective has become inseparable — even meeting up at the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire host’s pub The Farmer’s Dog and keeping in touch daily.
After plenty of practising, they have promised another emotional performance tonight in a bid to impress not just Amanda and fellow judges Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon and KSI, but the viewing public who also get a say.
Wishing the group good luck ahead of the semis, Jeremy said: “It’s great that the choir has kept going because we only brought it together to do some silly adverts for the Hawkstone beer brand.
“They all went, ‘This is great, we’ll just stay together’.” Whatever happens next, the choir has already won a legion of fans from across the world. “We’ve had messages from Australia, New Zealand, Japan,” said Ben. “Because of BGT and Clarkson’s Farm, we’ve gone international.”
“The Archers cast have messaged and so has Fiona Bruce,” added Ted.
Their success has also sparked a deluge of messages from farmers asking to join the choir.
“We’ve had loads. Hundreds actually, which is really cool,” said Ben.
Katryna says it will be back to reality with a bump when she returns to work on the farm, where the animals are unfazed by her fame. “It’s been a lot of fun,” she smiles.
“Filming for the show feels like a little holiday, which I rarely get. I haven’t been off the farm that much.
“I don’t think the cows care about this. The horse isn’t too bothered whether I’ve been on telly or not.”
No choir has ever won BGT, but the group think they have a chance. If they make it to next week’s live final, they could be singing for the King at the Royal Variety Performance in November.
Ben reckons their act is right up His Majesty’s street.
“It’s topical and I think it’s something he’d be interested in,” he said. “He’s a big supporter of farming, so I think he’d enjoy our performance.”
As well as entertaining the masses, the choir hope to highlight the difficulties faced by farmers at a particularly tough time for the industry.
“I do know that this is just the start for us,” said Katryna. We’re all thinking the same. We don’t want this to end.” Meanwhile, Jeremy has reassured fans he is “tickety-boo” after a recent health scare.
He had a heart op in 2024, and dramatic scenes showing him hooked up to machines in hospital are set to feature in series five of Clarkson’s Farm next month.
The Britain’s Got Talent semi-final is tonight on ITV1 at 7pm.
