Jeremy Clarkson says it 'fills me with despair' that Sir Ranulph Fiennes is stuck in a care home

From the Newshound archive · first published 11 October 2026 · last updated 12 October 2026.

Jeremy Clarkson has broken his silence on the mystery surrounding Sir Ranulph Fiennes, writing in his Times column that the 82-year-old explorer 'should not be in a bloody care home'. Clarkson, who has known Fiennes his whole adult life, said the friendship began when his mother made a soft toy of Fiennes's dog Bothie. Sir Ranulph has not been seen in public since October 2024 and is said to be living under an assumed identity.

Clarkson wrote that the idea of Fiennes 'doing beetle drives and eating fish fingers fills me with despair' and that he should instead be 'blowing s**t up' in the woods.

King Charles was reportedly blocked by Fiennes's wife, Louise Millington-Cotes, when he tried to check on the explorer after concerns about his declining health and isolation.

Fiennes failed to attend a Royal Geographical Society gala celebrating his life in 2024, sending only a pre-recorded video — his last known public appearance.