Jeremy Clarkson took to Instagram to express his disappointment with the UK's partial solar eclipse on August 12, 2026, captioning a picture of the sun with 'So annoying. We didn’t get the eclipse in Chipping Norton.' The eclipse, described as the most dramatic in 30 years, was visible across the UK, but Clarkson's post sparked a wave of replies from followers who pointed out that he had not missed much.
Fans Respond to Clarkson's Eclipse Gripes
Among the responses, user tux_linux wrote, 'You’ve not missed much. Just a little less sun. Also, it’s evening where the sun is going down anyway. Not even close to the dark like ’99.' Another follower, andycoult80, agreed, saying, 'It was nowhere near 90%, so too bright. I only got a decent picture with 3 pairs of sunnies over my phone camera. Normal camera looked just like your [photo].'
owensuperconfidential joked that it was 'The worst eclipse …. In the world.' Clarkson's fans also noted that the eclipse was visible from his home in Chipping Norton and the Cotswolds, with some reporting a lovely view from his pub, which is just 12 miles from his farm.
Partial Eclipse Explanation
User @sean.olford explained to Clarkson that 'All parts did [get the eclipse]; you just won’t see much of it because it’s partial. Without extremely good eyewear specifically made for looking at extremely bright things, such as welding goggles and so on, you wouldn’t really notice a difference other than it being slightly less light than it would be. Phone cameras are not good at picking it up because it just shows as a glow, like the normal sun, as there is still a significant portion of the sun visible.'
Despite his disappointment, Clarkson may find solace in the fact that today is results day, allowing him to make his usual tweet about his educational qualifications.
Celebrities Share Their Eclipse Experiences
Other celebrities had a more positive experience. Fearne Cotton shared a poignant essay on Instagram, writing, 'I knew it would be magical, but that was next level. Here’s why I cried. I was lucky enough to be on a beach where there were people from all over the world, groups of mates, families, couples, people watching quietly on their own. Every single person, no matter their background or story, stopped to stand in awe. Faces lit up. Smiles grew. We all waited for the star of the show, the moon, to slide across the sky like the sly beauty she is. We were humbled by something we usually take for granted. And we were reminded that we are just a floating ball in space with other floating balls around us.'
Romeo Beckham posted a photo on his Instagram story captioned, 'Eclipse, and then Arsenal playing… Doesn’t get better.' Carol Vorderman watched from a river boat with a glass of wine, while Holly Willoughby shared a moody photo shadowed by the eclipse's light. Paddy McGuinness made a DIY pinhole projector with his three kids, and John Bishop resorted to the old colander trick. Ronan Keating serenaded the sun and moon.
