The 'only thing' Jeremy Clarkson now avoids after 'cheating death' twice

Jeremy Clarkson has opened up about the 'only thing' he now avoids, after he revealed his cancer diagnosis on the latest series of Clarkson's Farm.

The former Top Gear host, 66, underwent emergency heart surgery last year, as well as now being in remission from 'aggressive' prostate cancer.

He told The Times that he feels like 'the world’s luckiest man,' after 'cheating death' twice.

“I took a bit of a battering having cancer last year on top of heart problems," he revealed.

Fans were shocked to see Clarkson lying in a hospital bed at the end of Season 5.

While he said he starts each day with a 'bucket' of pills now, he really does count himself lucky: “I really like seeing my grandchildren. I want to watch them grow up."

Clarkson's Farm ended on a cliffhanger, showing the broadcaster in a hospital bed (Prime Video)

He added: "I drive much more slowly. I’m a bit of a dawdler. I go for walks a lot. I have vegetarian food.”

He said there is just one thing that he avoids now, as part of his new healthier look on life.

Recalling a recent restaurant trip, he raved: "I had a vegetarian starter: Isle of Wight tomatoes. God, it was stunning. Then I had boiled ham and parsley sauce and new potatoes," he explained.

"The only thing I try my hardest to avoid is processed foods," confessed the broadcaster.

"If it contains one thing, a steak, an egg, whatever it might be, as long as it’s got just one ingredient, then it’s good," he added.

Jeremy Clarkson opened up about lifestyle changes he's made following his health problems (Amazon Prime Video)

Of his illness, he explained: "It was an aggressive type of cancer. It could have spread, it could have gone into the pancreas, it could have gone anywhere, and that would have been trouble."

About 64,000 British men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year.

If caught early, most men survive, so Clarkson has been keen to spread awareness: "This is why I have to say to everybody who’s reading this, please, please, please go and get checked. It’s not uncomfortable, it’s not undignified. And it’s a no-brainer. I did, and that’s why I’m sitting here..."

One recent study backed up Clarkson's fears over ultra-processed food.

The researchers wrote: "Ultra-processed foods, known for their high content of additives and preservatives and low levels of whole-food ingredients, have been associated with various cancers."

For prostate cancer in particular, they concluded that more research was needed, but for bowel and colon cancer a reduced fibre diet high in ultra-processed foods has been found to be an aggravating factor.

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.