Harriet Cowan’s life changed overnight following her debut on Clarkson’s Farm. Even before the series dropped, the trailer sent fans into overdrive as they were desperate to find out more about the young blonde farmer who could put Jeremy Clarkson in his place. A year on, her life is unrecognisable. She’s quit her full-time position as a nurse and has exciting plans to buy a small holding of her own. “I’m living everyone’s dream,” she beams from her partner James Booth’s family farm in her hometown of Derbyshire.
A festival first
At 25 years old, she would never have imagined she’d be part of the talent at a farming festival, but that’s exactly what will be happening later this month. The Great British Farm Fest runs from 22-24 May at the NAEC Stoneleigh Warwickshire. As if learning farming wasn’t enough of a challenge for Top Gear’s Jeremy, he’s now decided to launch a brand-new festival – a “celebration of farming” with delicious local food and incredible music, too. Headliners include Groove Armada and Sophie Ellis-Bextor. “It’s supposed to be like a country show in the day and then a music festival at night,” explains Harriet, who is already keen to secure a position in her happy place – the tractor arena!
A Clarkson’s Farm return?
I had to ask the Amazon Prime star the question on everyone’s lips: will she be returning to Clarkson’s Farm in the next series? “I actually can’t say anything. The viewers will have to tune in in June, they’ll just have to wait and see,” is the perfect PR answer she delivers, with a twinkle in her eye.
© Prime VideoSpeaking about the original 11-week filming block, Harriet explained her living set-up was a trailer on site. She knew no one in the area, living two and a half hours from her hometown. Luckily, the sacrifice was worth it, and she slotted into the team seamlessly, and even worked well with the divisive Mr Clarkson despite his “wacky plans”. “When I left, he was lovely and said, ‘I’m really gonna miss you, I can’t wait for you to come back’ and we’ve kept in contact,” she reveals. “I owe Jeremy for everything,” explaining that he helps her navigate the showbusiness industry.
© AmazonJeremy’s wife Lisa is the tonic on the farm, Harriet reports. “She’s the one that lightens the mood whenever the farm’s a bit meh, if it’s rained for two weeks straight or something.” Lisa will also be there at The Great British Farm Fest, no doubt thinking up new ways to promote the Diddly Squat farm produce.
The downside of fame
“When the show first came out, I turned my phone off for a while because I was like, ‘This is insane’,” admits Harriet. And it was her newfound fame that resulted in her quitting her full-time nursing role. “I was being recognised by patients, and you’ve got to be professional [as a] nurse. You could be [at someone’s house] for a really serious reason, and someone says ‘I saw you on the telly’, making it hard to be professional.”
“When the show first came out, I turned my phone off for a while because I was like, ‘This is insane’.”
The younger farmer also found herself in high demand. “I was starting to get deals coming in. I couldn’t take any more annual leave and I was turning down crazy, big opportunities. I was like, this isn’t working anymore.”
Despite joking that she’s “retired” from the profession in her 20s, she doesn’t totally rule out a return should her fame die down. “I’ve still got my PIN – I will keep that because I worked so hard to become a nurse,” she proudly says.
Even farming pros like Harriet have accidents, and a significant run-in with a log splinter caused her to cut the top of her finger off. The severed digit was thankfully reattached in emergency surgery but she informs us that it’s now “completely numb”. But she’s still living and breathing farming.
© Instagram/ @harrietcowan_xI asked Harriet if she’s a fan of other farming shows like Our Yorkshire Farm and Fletchers’ Family Farm, and it was an undoubted yes. “100 per cent. It’s hilarious because work on the farm all day, and then come home and watch farming shows! [These shows] are the ones that have thrust [farming] into the limelight”. Harriet is so happy that farming is finally seen as “cool” as she’s been trying to preach that her whole life.
Women specifically have been inspired by Harriet appearing on the show, and she admits it’s been the “best part”. The star is proud to have inspired a generation of young female farmers, admitting that she gets emotional when people tell her their daughters have been inspired to consider farming as an option because of her.
Future farming generations
As well as the TV side to her career, and her fashionable farmer social media accounts, Harriet is still very much doing the hard graft. She works on her partner James’ family farm as well as her own family farm. Then there’s the contract for tractor driving for another nearby farm, where she was dashing off to after our chat.
“I’m so busy and I need to pin down on [my] career at the minute, but hopefully within the next few years we’ll have a few [children].”
Ever ambitious, she’s also got her sights set on buying a small holding of her own and launching her own clothing line – plus, starting a family is on the horizon, too. “I’m so busy and I need to pin down on [my] career at the minute, but hopefully within the next few years we’ll have a few [children].”
Clarkson’s Farm season 5 returns on 3 June on Amazon Prime, when the first 4 episodes drop.
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