Jeremy Clarkson opens up on prostate exams in sad admission about friends 'going down' with specific cancer
If you've ever pondered about what a prostate examination is like, Jeremy Clarkson has just answered that for you.
The TV titan, 65, has decided to share a blow-by-blow account of his most recent experience with the British public - albeit with a good dose of humour.
Following his health scare last year, which left him 'days away from death', Clarkson has been keeping an extra close eye on his wellbeing.
He explained that he gets a medical MOT 'every couple of years' and his most recent one was just last week, which consisted of 'eight solid hours of thoroughness.'
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Among a variety of other examinations, Clarkson underwent an MRI scan and an ultrasound, as well as a cardiovascular and liver test to check all of his organs were working correctly.
The Top Gear legend didn't bat an eye at most of these, given that state-of-the-art medical machinery was doing all of the donkey work.
But this isn't the case when it comes to a prostate exam, as doctors have to do it the old fashioned way - by sticking their finger into your back passage to check the size of the gland.
The prostate is a small walnut-sized organ which only people assigned male at birth have.
It wraps around the urethra - the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the penis - and produces a fluid that mixes with sperm to make semen.
Doctors can carry out a digital rectal exam (DRE) to check whether it feels unusual, and although it might be a bit uncomfortable, it's usually painless.
In his latest Sunday Times column, Clarkson explained that he just couldn't get his head around how machines can 'somehow spot what’s going on inside every single part of your body, apart from your bottom.'
Describing it as 'odd', he wrote: "They can photograph your ventricles and every bit of your brain, but if they want to know what’s going on with your prostate, which lives in the anus, for some reason, the doctor has to put his finger in there. I can only assume it’s because he likes it."
Contrary to the beliefs of the Clarkson's Farm host, doctors don't perform the intimate examination because they enjoy it, but because it can give them a good indication of whether there's an issue to be worried about or not.
Clarkson then pointed out that it's 'the same story with your testicles', as he discussed the awkwardness of a doctor 'cupping your scrotum and asking you to cough.'
"They say they’re testing for a hernia, but surely to God there’s a machine that can do that," he joked. "So why do they do it manually? There can be only one reason. Because they enjoy it."
Despite him listing a few drawbacks of putting himself through the prostate exam, Clarkson said he actually doesn't mind the process - given that it can save your life.
This is an especially poignant topic for the father-of-three, as he explained that a number of his close pals have been hit by prostate cancer.
"The truth is, we do need to know this stuff," Clarkson said. "I’ve had too many friends go down with prostate cancer, and all it takes to get on top of the situation early is a moment or two of being a bit cross-eyed.
"You get the all-clear and the doc goes home happy. What’s not to like?
"I went home very happy, because the initial probing and photographing suggests all is well. And let me tell you, nothing makes you feel better than knowing for sure you’re not going to drop dead tomorrow morning."
Clarkson's Farm star Gerald Cooper was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2023, which made for quite the emotional on-screen reunion with Clarkson when he returned to the series after treatment.
Cooper was then given the all clear in June 2024, much to the delight of fans of the show.
Clarkson isn't the only star to open up about his experience of prostate exams, as Hollywood star Ben Stiller has also previously opened up about how the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test 'saved his life.'
Topics: Cancer, Jeremy Clarkson, Health, UK News, News
Olivia Burke