Mother's Harsh Words
Jeremy Clarkson has disclosed that his mother, Shirley Clarkson, gave him shocking advice when he complained about being bullied at school. In his column for The Sun, Clarkson wrote that he sobbed to his mother about the bullying, but she replied: 'Well, if everyone is bullying you, you must be doing something wrong.' Clarkson joked that today 'she'd be arrested for even thinking such a ridiculous thought.'
Traumatic School Years
Clarkson has previously detailed the severe bullying he endured at Repton School in Derbyshire. In a 2015 column for The Sunday Times, he described being thrown into an ice plunge pool hourly, dragged from bed and beaten, made to lick lavatories clean, and other humiliations that turned him into a 'gibbering, sobbing, suicidal wreck.' He said older boys broke his possessions, glued his records, snapped his compass, ate his biscuits, defecated in his tuck box, and cut his trousers with garden shears.
Turning Point
Despite the trauma, Clarkson credits his mother's advice for helping him change. He wrote that after her comment, he realized he was 'a bit of a prig.' He then 'took up smoking, had a few pints and maybe put one of the teachers' cars in the assembly hall.' After that, he 'had some real laughs, made some great friends and the bullying stopped.'
Applying the Advice Today
Clarkson continues to follow his mother's wisdom. He recounted complaining to Clarkson's Farm director Kit Lynch-Robinson about a terrible cold, expecting sympathy. Instead, Kit told him to 'get a grip' because the crew was waiting. Clarkson accepted this, saying work was completed, food was produced, television was made, and 'the wheels of the economy were greased.' He concluded the column by stating, 'This is what we should remember when we have problems in our heads.'
Impact and Criticism
While the advice may not work for everyone, it helps explain Clarkson's career and persona. He was raised to believe problems can be solved by self-change rather than demanding the world change. However, critics note that despite telling others not to complain, Clarkson himself often complains in his columns and on television.
