Harriet Cowan, 24, will make her Clarkson’s Farm debut later this month after the season four trailer confirmed her as Kaleb Cooper’s replacement while he took a break from the show to embark on his own nationwide tour.
The new series will see Clarkson attempt to buy a pub to revive his farm-to-fork restaurant vision after his Oxfordshire restaurant was shut down by the council.
Cowan, who works as a full-time nurse whilst also farming part-time, confirmed her appearance on the show via social media, posting the trailer with the caption: “Ekkkk, something exciting is coming on the 23rd of May.” (sic)
She had been dropping hints about her involvement with Diddly Squat for some time, including a November post showing a couch with ‘Diddly Squat’ written on it.
However, it’s now been revealed that Cowan’s new role has sparked controversy within her own family, with her estranged step-sisters publicly criticising her character.
Chiropodist Elina Clifford and her sister Maddie, a secondary school teacher, have spoken out about a bitter family feud involving Harriet.
The sisters claim Harriet is “fake” and “self-absorbed”, with Elina warning Jeremy Clarkson to “beware” of her behaviour.
The family rift is believed to stem from Cowan’s relationship with Elina and Maddie’s mother, Vicky, who is married to Harriet’s farmer father, Eddy Cowan.
“She is very, very self-absorbed,” Elina said. “She loves to be centre of attention to the detriment of others.”
Elina accused Cowan of being “horrible” to their mother, a trauma nurse who has been married to Cowan’s father for 15 years. “Not many people we know like her, and our family has never liked her,” she added. “My mum finds her behaviour unnecessary.”
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Elina claimed Cowan is only appearing on the show to boost her social media profile, saying: “She is obsessed with herself. She’ll soak all that up like a sponge.”
Maddie echoed her sister’s sentiments, saying: “We don’t have a good relationship with her. Our mum is with her dad now, and there was a lot of drama a couple of years ago.”
“There is a family feud, and Harriet was not being very nice to mum, and it was very upsetting,” she added.
Maddie noted that while Harriet has a “really nice” full sister named Izzy, the family rift has caused significant tension.
“Harriet’s mum Jacqui has remarried and I think she gets on with that side of the family but not ours,” she said.
Signing off their blistering assessment of the Clarkson’s Farm newbie, step-sister Elina added in the MailOnline interview: “The farming community in Derbyshire, where she lives, won’t like what she is doing. She is only doing a farming show to boost her social media profile. It is really sad and desperate.”
Away from the show, Cowan has built a significant social media following, with approximately 35,000 followers on TikTok and a growing Instagram presence.
She has also secured a brand partnership with Country Moos, a company specialising in cow-print sock designs.
Despite the family drama, Harriet appears to be making a positive impression on the show, with Clarkson praising her abilities in the trailer.
“She’s brilliant,” Clarkson can be heard saying as he watches her work around Diddly Squat Farm.
The trailer also shows the pair sharing a humorous moment when Cowan asks the former Top Gear presenter: “Should I trim your eyebrows?”
When Cooper returns to the farm later in the series, he also seems to get along well with his temporary replacement.