Harriet Cowan, 24, makes feelings clear on Kaleb Cooper as Clarkson’s Farm star addresses on-screen clash amid backlash
Harriet Cowan has shared nothing but kind words towards her Clarkson’s Farm co-star Kaleb Cooper following her introduction to the Amazon hit series.
In its newly released fourth season, Cowan entered the chaotic world of Diddly Squat to give farm owner Jeremy Clarkson, 65, a helping hand on his Oxfordshire farm.
The latest series opened with a clearly flustered, overwhelmed, and incompetent Clarkson struggling with the day-to-day duties on the farm while farm manager Cooper was embarking on a nationwide stage tour.
As a result, land agent Charlie Ireland hired Cowan as a temporary replacement and it’s safe to say she left both him and Clarkson impressed as she threw herself into the thick of the action.
However, one man unimpressed with Cowan’s arrival was Cooper who was furious when he returned to Chipping Norton to discover the 24-year-old nurse had been filling the void.
Cooper’s behaviour towards Cowan during their first meeting sparked fury from several viewers at home, with some calling him to be “axed” while others labelled him a “spoilt brat”.
“Right, now that, that’s Harriet. Now, be nice, behave. Not having any of your Andy Cato nonsense…” Clarkson said to Cooper as they approached the field where Cowan was standing.
Clarkson was referring to previous clash in series three in which Cooper was perturbed to see Cato had begun farming at Diddly Squat.
When Cooper came face to face with Cowan, things turned awkward as he stood “inspecting” her work in silence before sarcastically suggesting she may not have known what fertiliser to use on the field.
Cooper’s attitude proved so bad that upon returning to the barns, Clarkson decided to put his farm manager in his place, pulling him up over his demanding behaviour and joking he’d developed “c*** flu” after being pampered on tour.
The two young farmers did eventually develop a much more friendlier relationship as Cooper settled back into life at the farm. Once back up to speed, Cowan headed home to Derbyshire.
Now, despite their on-screen first meeting making for uncomfortable viewing, Cowan has revealed she and Cooper “get on really well” and have seen a friendship blossom since cameras stopped rolling on season four.
“Kaleb’s amazing – me and him are so close now,” Cowan said to BBC Derby. “He’s such a good farmer and we got on really well.”
Continuing her tribute, she went on: “He’s another farmer to add to my phone list to ring. Everyone checks in to make sure everyone’s fine.
“The farm is two and a bit hours away, so it’s crazy to be talking to Kaleb, Jeremy, Gerald and Charlie and asking what the weather is like.”
Cowan’s praise of Cooper comes just a few days after she urged members of the fandom to “be kind” with their responses to the scenes they witnessed on-screen.
As well as “axe” calls over Cooper’s behaviour towards his co-star, Cowan has also found herself in the firing line by some disgruntled fans who yearned for Cooper to return sooner in the new series.
The subsequent debate and divisive opinions prompted Cowan to take to Instagram last week, urging fans to consider what they’re writing online.
Alongside a scene of her and Cooper from the show, Cowan penned: “Please can everyone remember to be kind. We are all human and your words matter.”
The majority of the feedback towards Cowan’s arrival has been overwhelmingly positive, however, with many calling for her to return in future episodes.
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Addressing her future and the possibility of further appearances, she added to BBC Derby: “My life is going to be constantly farming. I’m never not going to farm, and I know it.
“I’ve just got to find a way to use what platform I’ve got to promote women in the industry and mental health.
“You’re never getting me off the farm, they’ll have to take me screaming and kicking.
“We’ve left it very open. I’m here if he needs me, but no plans at the moment.”
Meanwhile, Clarkson himself has also addressed the idea of bringing Cowan back into the fray.
“It’s a reality show. We don’t just bring characters in because the TV show needs it. You bring them in because you really need them,” he told The Sun.
“I loved Harriet to bits and I wish her all the very best. She was fantastic to have around.
“But the truth is, we’ve got Kaleb, and he might go off and do Celebrity Love Island or something, and if I can’t manage, I’ll call Harriet in a heartbeat.”