Jeremy Clarkson undergoes urgent heart procedure after doctor told him he could be 'days from death'

The former Top Gear presenter has revealed that he recently underwent a heart procedure because of a "sudden deterioration" in his health

TV host Jeremy Clarkson has opened up about the terrifying moment doctors warned him he could be 'days away from death'. The ex-Top Gear presenter recently disclosed that he had a heart procedure following a "sudden deterioration" in his health, which he chalked up to the "wearisome effects of growing old."

Clarkson recounted how trouble first started while swimming in the Indian Ocean on holiday, noticing difficulty with stairs, and upon returning home, his condition rapidly worsened.

He felt "clammy", experienced "tightness in my chest" and "pins and needles in my left arm". Spurred by the news of Alex Salmond's fatal heart attack, Clarkson sought medical attention.

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At John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, after an ambulance ride, tests including an electrocardiogram (ECG), blood work, and X-rays ruled out a heart attack. Despite this, a top doctor decided against sending him home with just a pill and a pat on the back, opting instead to put him through a procedure he likened to being placed inside a " certificate, he'd put me in a big Polo mint."

In his Sunday Times column, he revealed: "And after coming out of that, I was off to the operating theatre. Because my bankruptcy was most definitely just around the corner. Days away? 'Maybe,' he said."

Within a mere two hours, Jeremy had a stent fitted. This nifty device is aimed at warding off future heart attacks by keeping the ticker's blood flow in check, reports the Mirror.

Reflecting on the procedure, Clarkson shared: "It wasn't especially painful. Just odd," but he also admitted that since then, he has pondered, "Crikey, that was close."

The presenter even managed to inject a bit of humour into his health scare saga, quipping about his diet, noting he has been "wondering what water tastes like and if it's possible to make celery interesting". Kicking the cigs post-pneumonia while on holiday in Spain had already been ticked off his list.

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