Only a decade ago, Jeremy Clarkson wasn't the biggest fan of exercising or healthy living. However, becoming a grandfather has completely shifted his perspective on longevity.

The television presenter, who had an extravagant lifestyle, used to smoke 40 cigarettes a day and an alleged 4 pints of wine daily. Workout wasn't even a remote part of his life.

However, after being rushed to the hospital in 2017 for pneumonia, and then suffering from ‘really bad coronary artery problems’ at the end of 2024, the 66-year-old knew something had to change.

His two grandchildren, Arlo and Xanthe, gave him that renewed sense of purpose that pushed him to redraw his fitness regimen.

"I have decided that it is so wonderful that I want it to go on for as long as is humanly possible. Which means I must do everything in my power not to die," he wrote in The Times about being a grandfather.

"So far I’ve relied on luck to keep me alive. But I’m in sniper’s alley right now and I have to work at dodging the bullets. Two years ago, I saw old age as a wearisome tangle of tubes and knee-replacement surgery. Now though, thanks to my grandchildren, I’m actively looking forward to it."

Now, the British TV personality trains in reformer Pilates and takes walks when the weather is perfect. As someone who realized indoor exercise and a gym weren't for him, Clarkson also has a pickleball court in his Oxfordshire home.

While he admitted the process wasn't a breeze, the 66-year-old actor agreed that the effort was worth it.

The diet that supported Jeremy Clarkson's weight-loss journey

Jeremy Clarkson was known for his notoriously meat-heavy diet and his voracious eating habits. Restructuring that facet was also an important part of his health journey.

The TV personality has shifted to a strictly controlled, mostly meatless diet. In fact, Clarkson now eats burgers wrapped in lettuce and alcohol-free Hawkstone beer.

Taking the GLP-1 medication Mounjaro in small doses has also helped him lose more than 3 stones (42 lbs!) of weight by suppressing his appetite.

"You can come down in the morning and idly help yourself to a small handful of sunflower seeds... And it’ll feel like you’ve just finished a massive Christmas lunch," Clarkson explained.

However, the actor has been particularly open about not enjoying that experience. "You find yourself living a minibar existence." He continued, "That’s not living, though. That’s existing."

Despite the friction when it comes to his fitness journey, Jeremy Clarkson's physical transformation speaks volumes about his willingness to take back control of his health and his love for his grandchildren. What's something you take from Clarkson's journey?

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Written by

Proma Chatterjee

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason