Jeremy Clarkson has admitted that he’s “ripe for being ripped off” after weighing in on a “city-wide” scam in France. In a recent column, the star of Clarkson’s Farm recounted a scam in Paris where cafes and restaurants were allegedly swapping cheap wine for pricey bottles.
He mused over the fact that such trickery isn’t more common, jokingly suggesting that KFC chicken could be stripped of its batter and passed off as “woodland-grown”. Yet, when it comes to antiques, a field he considers “rich in potential” for deceit, Clarkson admits he’s vulnerable.
Clarkson said: “And I’m ripe for being ripped off because when it says on the label that it’s a 19th-century wingback Herter Brothers chair, I believe it’s true.” He continued with a hypothetical scenario: “But how do I know it wasn’t made yesterday in Slough and then distressed with salt water to make it look old? Certainly, if I were in the antiques business, that’s what I’d do.”
The French scam was reportedly uncovered by Le Parisien newspaper, which found that local establishments were fooling people by serving them budget wine instead of the expensive variety they ordered.
To expose the fraud, Le Parisien recruited two sommeliers who pretended to be tourists and tasted the wines, according to a report by the Independent.
In an intriguing development, the Grand Tour celebrity recently announced that he would be steering clear of his “favourite food” after a new study’s findings. The research highlighted the alarming impact on wildlife from drugs entering waterways.
During a segment on Good Morning Britain, Professor Alex Ford from the University of Portsmouth detailed unsettling discoveries. They detected numerous pharmaceuticals in marine creatures, ranging from contraceptive pills and antidepressants to cocaine.
Jeremy voiced his concerns via his column for The Sun, lamenting: “Shellfish have always been my favourite food. I go weak at the knees when I’m presented with a plate of oysters or a moules frites. And crab causes me to actually drool.”
But the idea of consuming shellfish now troubles him, equating it to “eating a branch of Boots”. He suggested the experience might leave him feeling “not good”.
In light of this, Jeremy relayed that he would turn to eating “a bit” of his own cattle for that evening’s meal, content in knowing that the cows were grass-fed.
Fans of Clarkson’s Farm are also eagerly anticipating the show’s comeback on Amazon Prime, with the initial quartet of episodes scheduled for release on May 23.