Jeremy Clarkson seeking to trademark his pig Richard Ham for a range of merchandise
In what could turn out to be a canny financial move, presenter Jeremy Clarkson is seeking to trademark his pig Richard Ham for a range of merchandise.
Jeremy Clarkson is seeking to trademark his pig Richard Ham for a range of merchandise.
After the animal’s rise to fame on his hit TV series Clarkson’s Farm, the 65-year-old broadcaster has filed an application with the UK’s Intellectual Property Office to secure exclusive rights to the name “Richard Ham” for use on clothing, homewares, gardening products, cookbooks and Christmas decorations.
The move, reported by The Sun, comes after the animal, named after Jeremy’s former Top Gear co-host Richard Hammond, became a breakout star on the show when he was saved from slaughter.
According to The Sun, the application was submitted earlier this month by Clarkson’s production team as part of a wider effort to expand the Clarkson’s Farm brand, which centres on his 1,000-acre Diddly Squat farm in Oxfordshire.
Jeremy chose to spare the piglet, the runt of its litter, during filming for the programme’s fourth series – a moment that quickly became a highlight among viewers.
Lisa Hogan, Jeremy’s partner and fellow Clarkson’s Farm star, provided an update on the animal’s progress on social media days before news of the trademark filing emerged.
A video clip shared by Lisa showed the now fully-grown animal snuffling into the camera lens from his sty as she said: “Yes, you’re huge… it’s because you’ve been hand-fed for all these months.”
The pig was originally nicknamed Richard Ham after Richard Hammond, Jeremy’s long-time co-presenter on Top Gear and The Grand Tour.
During the series, viewers saw the tiny animal struggling to put on weight and being separated from his siblings to avoid being bullied.
The scenes earned widespread affection online, with fans praising Jeremy’s decision to keep him as a pet rather than send him to slaughter.
Sources close to the production told The Sun Jeremy views the pig’s unexpected popularity as “a natural fit” for branded merchandise linked to his growing farming empire, which already includes a farm shop and beer label.
Jeremy’s application to trademark “Richard Ham” is reportedly under review by the Intellectual Property Office.
Since 2021, Jeremy’s Amazon series Clarkson’s Farm has become a major success, documenting his life running Diddly Squat Farm with partner Lisa Hogan and co-star Kaleb Cooper, earning widespread acclaim and global viewership.
