'Jeremy Clarkson saved my life with on-air joke – now I want to repay him'
Jeremy Clarkson fan Andy Hood was diagnosed with cancer in 2021 after watching an episode of The Grand Tour. Now, he wants to thank the star in person.
A man whose life was ‘saved’ by Jeremy Clarkson is thanking the former Top Gear host with a touching gesture after receiving a devastating diagnosis. Back in 2021, Andrew Hood settled in for the night with an episode of The Grand Tour following his regular evening run.
In the show, hosts Jeremy, James May and Richard Hammond were testing whether their lap times would be improved if they could channel the need to urinate into their raving. To test the theory, the trio chugged three pints of water before the race. During the light-hearted segment, they joked about needing to pee in the middle of the night – a prostate issue that affects many men. It was at this point that something clicked for the runner from North Devon.
Recalling the memorable moment to Oxford Mail, he confessed: “I’ve been a long-time follower of Clarkson, watching Top Gear, The Grand Tour and more recently’ Clarkson’s Farm. In the shower that evening, post run, I was thinking about the episode and my mind turned to prostate cancer and then onto testicular cancer. On checking, I noticed something wrong and within 10 days I’d received a cancer diagnosis, had an operation and was soon to be scheduled for chemotherapy.”
In 2021, Andy was diagnosed with testicular cancer at the age of 48. Thankfully, doctors caught it early, revealing that it would have spread had it been ignored. He went on: “If it were not for Clarkson, Hammond and May larking around, I would never have checked, it had just never crossed my mind. And it is likely the outcome would have been very different.”
Now 52, the fan will be running an ultra-marathon of 34 miles from Oxford Station to Diddly Squat Farm Shop on Saturday, April 12, to personally thank the veteran presenter. Andy revealed that the presenter's partner Lisa will be coming down for the special event, who will pass on a touching letter to the star if he is unable to attend the marathon.
He gushed: “I’ll be thanking Jeremy Clarkson for saving my life, I will give a letter for him thanking him personally.” The 54k run will also go via Mr Clarkson’s pub, The Farmer’s Dog in Asthall, as well as the Hawk Stone in the latest of Andy’s athletic ventures. To date, Andy has raised around £11,0000 for cancer charities, and this year he is supporting MacMillan and ChemoHero.
