‘The Clarkson Effect’ – how popular TV series drives boom in student demand for agriculture courses

Jeremy Clarkson's Amazon Prime TV show, puts the spotlight on the variety of roles the industry can offer.

The latest statistics have revealed that student applications for agricultural courses have risen significantly over the past five years, with the rise in part being put down to the so-called ‘Clarkson effect'.

Overall, recent official statistics show across the sector there was an 8% rise in 2024 in the number of students accepted onto agricultural courses, compared to 2023.

Even more revealing, since 2019, it’s reported a rise of almost 20% in agriculture, food and related programmes

TV shows like Clarkson's Farm help to shine a light on the realities of farming, and have appealed to those in urban areas who might not otherwise have considered agriculture as a career.

One of the strengths of these shows is how they demonstrate the breadth of experience new entrants to farming, even celebrities and soap stars, need to draw upon to make their farms a success.

Image credit: Ellis O'Brien

At Myerscough College, a group of second year T-Level students have been chatting about how shows like how Clarkson's Farm inspired them to pursue a career in agriculture.

Ellie, 17, has a farming background, with her grandparents running a dairy farm near Garstang and her family keeping sheep and cattle at home.

She had planned to take A-levels and pursue a different career, but instead chose to study farming at college after watching the Jeremy Clarkson programme, which she said highlighted the importance of the industry.

Ellie is one of a growing number of young people choosing a career in farming. Myerscough College said applications for its agriculture courses had risen by 30%, a trend it attributes in part to the "Clarkson Effect".

Ellie told BBC North West Tonight: "I was doing A-levels for a year but that didn't suit me. So I decided to come here and get back into farming.

"Jeremy Clarkson has put agriculture in front of everyone in the country. He has shown why agriculture is important in Britain for food production.

"There is a lot of people want to come into agriculture now."

Another agriculture student, Oliver, is not from a farming background and said watching the ups and downs of Diddly Squat Farm had inspired a lot of his fellow students to pursue a career in the industry.

The 17-year-old said: "Interest in farming has spiked because Jeremy Clarkson is such a massive influence and isn't from a farming background himself. It shows the side of farming that a lot of people do not see, including the harsh reality."

He added: "It's a way of life. It's not for the money, it's for the life."

Course tutor David Singleton said the college had seen a rise in applications for farming courses since Clarkson's Farm first aired, leading to an increase in staffing.

"It has had quite a big influence on student numbers. We're finding a lot of people from outside the industry coming into agriculture and deciding to give it a go at 16 or 17."

He said: "We've probably gone up about 30% since Clarkson's Farm".

David also said other programmes, including ITV's Fletcher's Family Farm, featuring former Emmerdale actor Kelvin Fletcher, had helped encourage young people to consider a career in agriculture.

While some farmers have questioned how accurately the series reflects life in the industry, it has been credited with highlighting the challenges and pressures many farmers face.

Female students on the course have also said they have been inspired by farmer and influencer Harriet Cowan, who joined Jeremy Clarkson on the farm in series four.

Students on the Myerscough College course described her as a role model.

Eliena, whose parents run a farm in Bacup, said: "She went on there like a girl boss, nails and lashes, proving the stereotype wrong."

David Singleton added: "I'll tell you a little secret, girls are better than lads at very many tasks. So, when they are looking after livestock, they've often got more attention to detail and once they know how to use a machine properly, they are better operators and less likely to break things."

For student Connie, becoming a farmer was inevitable, despite the challenges.

She said: "All I can remember is going out with my dad and doing work. I couldn't see my future any other way."

Just started in Year 11? Looking for your next step in 2027? Myerscough College is one of the leading institutions for the study of agriculture, alongside land and wildlife management, in the UK. Our courses will help prepare you for a career in the industry, by combining relevant background skills with practical knowledge, technological developments as well as business enterprise.

There is currently a significant demand for highly trained and well-educated professionals to enter the agriculture and countryside industry. This has been fuelled by the increasing awareness that food production, farming, tourism, the environment and rural affairs are all interconnected.

Find out more and apply now here and here