Jeremy Clarkson forced to defend himself over cruel remarks following health scare

has been forced to defend himself over cruel remarks following his .

shared details of his emergency dash to hospital in his column for The Times, and revealed he began suffering worrying symptoms while on holiday on a small island in the Indian Ocean. said he had complained of having “tightness in my chest” and “feeling clammy”, as well as pins and needles, and struggling to steady himself after getting up from the breakfast table.

His symptoms intensified upon his return to the UK, and he was rushed to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford where he underwent a life-saving heart operation to have a stent fitted to open up a blocked artery. But after describing his health scare, he was targeted by cruel trolls who suggested it was his meat-heavy diet that contributed to his heart troubles.

READ MORE:

“Now he seems to have had a heart attack, and needed surgery. What does he expect eating all that meat? He can't be surprised!” one tweeted, prompting Jeremy to quickly reply: “Better than dying of vegetable induced boredom.”

His followers sent messages of support to the former Top Gear host, as one wrote: “Glad you’re ok…it’s so common at this age, but you’ll be grand. It can take a bit of time,” as another added: “Get well soon jezza, hope the surgery went well.”

Jeremy said he began to feel unwell after swimming in the sea, and confessed he felt “mostly dead” after returning to the beach. He later found it difficult to climb stairs without help, but spent the rest of his holiday indulging in wine and cheese. Jeremy said upon his return to the UK “sudden deterioration began to gather pace”, and he began having pins and needles in his left arm. The presenter admitted to hospital, where he was rushed into an operating theatre with doctors telling him he was “days away” from death.

Jeremy joked he could feel surgeons during the operation, and quipped: “At one point it felt like he's put a Hoover pipe up may arm, along with a pile driver, and was busy inside my heart with a B&Q chisel and hammer gift set.” He admitted the health scare was the “wearisome effects of growing old”, and one artery was “completely blocked”, with another one also needing a stent.

His Clarkson’s Farm co-star provided an update on his health on Capital Breakfast show on Wednesday, after he was asked by hosts and how Jeremy was doing. “Yeah, I’m there every day. I mean, I’m at the farm every day, or we’ll text every day or, you know, I’ll go in for a cup of tea every day. Yeah, he’s doing alright. He’s doing alright, he’s doing good,” he added.

Follow Mirror Celebs on,,,,, and.