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Jeremy Clarkson looking serious in an orange jacket© Dave Hogan/Hogan Media/Shutterstock

Jeremy Clarkson shares 'double risk of dementia' in candid health update

The former Top Gear host is concerned about his "double risk of dementia"

Melanie Macleod
Wellness Editor
November 28, 2023
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At 63, Jeremy Clarkson has made the decision to speak openly about his health concerns, sharing that 'most of his body' doesn't work anymore. He wrote in his column for The Times: "Age even makes going for a walk complicated."

He explains that he struggles with his balance and suffers from a sore back, but his hearing is the main issue he's contending with, which leads to a concern that he will develop dementia.

"The worst problem I have, though, is with my ears," the Top Gear star began, adding that he's been struggling for many years.

jeremy clarkson solo© Photo: Getty Images
Jeremy has several health concerns

"This has been going on for 12 years and, being a tolerant sort of guy, I’ve coped. But I was told after my most recent medical that hearing loss will double the chance of me catching dementia," he shared.

Jeremy continued that his risk of dementia is higher, as his brain is working harder than most to decipher sounds.

Explaining what his doctor said, Jeremy relayed: "My brain is having to use a huge amount of computing power trying to fill in the bits of speech it hasn’t been able to hear."

In fact, according to the NHS,  if you have moderate hearing loss, the risk of dementia triples. With a severe untreated hearing loss, you are five times more likely to develop dementia.

On how he's tackling his hearing issue, and as a result, reducing his risk of developing dementia, Jeremy said: "I will be using hearing aids. They’re very snazzy and extremely clever."

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The car expert has been working hard on his physical health too, sharing in May 2022 that he'd enlisted the help of a personal trainer.

"None of the shirts in my wardrobe fit any longer [and] I can barely do up my shoelaces," he wrote at the time. Ever the joker, he added: "I've been going for walks every day, but while some of them are seven or eight miles long, I'm not sure they're doing much good," Jeremy said.

jeremy clarkson diddly squat
Jeremy Clarkson said he walks very slowly!

"The problem is that I pootle along extremely slowly, and when I get tired, I slow down even more."

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The presenter continued that he wasn't convinced by working out with his PT, writing: "People who do this sort of thing for fun say that if you really push your body, you are rewarded with a euphoric high that's better than any drug.

jeremy clarkson itv© Photo: Getty Images
Jeremy enlisted the help of a personal trainer

"I just felt terribly weary," he continued. "And I neither looked nor felt any better than I had done when the session started."

Here's hoping Jeremy's hearing aids help him get back to a better quality of life.

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