‘Clarkson-Cameron effect’ sees 11-fold surge in prostate checks: Presenter is ‘hugely proud’

Jeremy Clarkson and David Cameron have been credited for a mammoth surge in checks for deadly prostate cancer. 

Visits to a popular online risk checker rose 11-fold since the pair revealed their diagnoses in June this year and November last year respectively.

Prostate Cancer UK, the charity behind the digital calculator, said just 2,000 men per day used the tool prior to November 2025.

In the week that followed Lord Cameron’s diagnosis, the average daily figure rose to over 22,000.

A similar boost was seen in the week after Jeremy Clarkson announced his diagnosis, with visits up from 8,425 a day to around 51,000. 

It’s an uplift that has saved lives, according to the charity, and a feat that Mr Clarkson has said he is ‘hugely proud of’. 

‘But there’s still plenty more to do,’ he added. ‘So, I’ll keep saying it: if you’re a man, check your risk. It only takes a couple of minutes and it could save your life.’

The figures come as a host of celebrities call on the new health secretary to ‘change the story on prostate cancer’ and reverse the ‘wrong’ decision to restrict screening.

Jeremy Clarkson’s prostate cancer diagnosis has prompted thousands of men to check their own risk of contracting the disease

Last week, the Daily Mail exclusively reported that Lord Cameron, Jeremy Clarkson,  and actor Stephen Fry were among a collection of survivors writing to Yvette Cooper, calling for the Government to offer screening more widely.

Currently, prostate cancer screening is limited to just 1,500 men a year aged 45 to 61 who have a particular genetic mutation and a family history of an associated cancer.

It involves a PSA blood test, which looks for unusually high levels of a protein that is released in response to cancer cells.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in Britain, with 63,000 cases and 12,000 deaths every year.

Many patients are diagnosed too late for treatment to succeed.

Black men face double the risk of the general population, and men whose fathers or brothers have had the disease face a similar threat.

The Daily Mail is campaigning to end needless prostate cancer deaths and for a national prostate cancer screening programme, initially targeted at high-risk men, such as those who are black, have a family history of the disease or specific genetic mutations.

In their letter, the signatories, which also include film director Sir Steve McQueen, Colin McFarlane and Nick Jones, the founder of Soho House members’ club, say: ‘Unless a man carries one specific genetic variant, there is still no route to a test beyond hoping a GP takes his concerns seriously.

‘That cannot be right. You have the chance to change the story on prostate cancer and make a generational difference to men’s health. We urge you to take it.’

They ask Ms Cooper to reconsider the Committee’s recommendation and ‘commit to a targeted national screening programme’.

‘Act now, rather than wait a decade for further trial data while men continue to die. Ensure that risk, not luck, decides who is tested,’ they conclude.

Clarkson, 66, announced he had been diagnosed with ‘aggressive’ prostate cancer, which had been discovered early, in episodes of his show Clarkson’s Farm that aired in June.

In a subsequent interview with The Sunday Times, he confirmed a PSA test revealed no indication of cancer and that he is in remission.

He went on to urge men to get checked for risk of the disease. Clarkson added revealing his diagnosis was ‘worthwhile’ if his story ‘gets even one bloke to stop ignoring the issue and do something about it’.

Prostate Cancer UK said that since its online risk checker was launched in 2020 it has been completed by more than five million men.

The digital tool generates a personalised risk assessment based on factors like age, ethnicity, family history of the disease and other relevant factors such as a genetic mutation in the BRCA gene. 

Amy Rylance, director of health services at Prostate Cancer UK, said: ‘We hear from so many men who say a celebrity diagnosis, like Jeremy Clarkson or Lord Cameron’s, inspired them to check their risk and in some cases saved their life.

Clarkson, 66, announced he had been diagnosed with ‘aggressive’ prostate cancer, which had been discovered early, in episodes of his show Clarkson’s Farm

‘We’re extremely grateful to everyone who has publicly shared their experiences of prostate cancer, shining a light onto this disease that is much easier to treat when found earlier, and kickstarting many lifesaving conversations.

‘Our risk checker helps men navigate this complex disease, empowering men with a clear way to understand their risk and their choices.’

Ms Rylance reiterated calls for a ‘safe and effective screening programme’, adding that studies run by the charity may provide the scientific evidence needed to ‘make this a reality’.

‘Until then, public figures telling their stories and inspiring men to check their risk are playing an important role in helping men and loved ones across the country, and we thank them for their vital work.’