Jeremy Clarkson‘s glamorous new farmhand is at the centre of a bitter family feud, MailOnline can reveal.
Harriet Cowan, 24, was this week confirmed as the latest star of the ex-Top Gear host’s hit Prime Video series Clarkson’s Farm, taking over from popular sidekick Kaleb Cooper who is taking a break from the show.
But the nurse and part-time farmer’s signing hasn’t been celebrated by members of her own family, namely estranged step-sister Elina Clifford.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Chiropodist Elina says Harriet ‘loves to be centre of attention’ to the detriment of others, adding scathingly: ‘She is very, very self absorbed.’
Explaining the family rift, Elina – whose nurse mother Vicky is married to Harriet’s farmer father Eddy Cowan – says it resulted in Harriet being cut adrift from that side of the family – and warned host Jeremy to be wary of how ‘fake’ she is.
Elina said: ‘She is fake in the way she behaves, so Jeremy Clarkson beware!’
Elina, who has an older sister Maddie, 25, a secondary school teacher, accused Harriet of being ‘horrible’ to their mother, a trauma nurse at Burton Hospital who has been married to the new Clarkson’s Farm star’s father for 15 years.
Elina added: ‘While we never lived all together she was part of our lives for many years, and she stayed with us at times, while she went to Belper High School.
Harriet Cowan (pictured), 24, was this week confirmed as the latest star of the ex-Top Gear host’s hit Prime Video series Clarkson’s Farm, taking over from popular sidekick Kaleb Cooper who is taking a break from the show
Harriet’s estranged step-sister Elina Clifford (pictured) called the new Clarkson’s Farm star ‘very self absorbed’
Elina warned host Jeremy Clarkson to be wary of how ‘fake’ her step-sister Harriet is
‘Not many people we know like her and our family has never liked her.
‘My mum finds her behaviour unnecessary.’
Her sister Maddie was equally dismissive of Harriet.
She told MailOnline: ‘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 has a full sister Izzy who is really nice and it is sad there has been a family rift.
‘Harriet’s mum Jacqui has remarried and I think she gets on with that side of the family but not ours.
‘We know she is on the show.’
Elina pictured with her mother Vicky Cowan who is married to Harriet’s father Eddy Cowan
Elina accused Harriet of being ‘horrible’ to her mother, a trauma nurse at Burton Hospital who has been married to the new Clarkson’s Farm star’s father for 15 years (Pictured: Eddy and Vicky Cowan)
Harriet’s step-sisters believe the farmer will lap up the attention of her new found fame, claiming fame is something she has always craved and she’s only doing the show to ‘boost her social media following’.
Elina added: ‘She is very self centred and over-bearing and although I’ve not seen not spoken to her for a few years I doubt she has changed.
‘She always wants to be the top of everything she does and in trying to do so makes people around her not feel great.
‘She’ll love all the attention on Jeremy Clarkson’s show, we were aware she was doing it.
‘She always wants to be the centre of attention.’
She continued: ‘And 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. She is obsessed with herself. She’ll soak all that up like a sponge.
‘It is really sad and desperate.’
Harriet’s step-sisters believe the farmer will lap up the attention of her new found fame, claiming fame is something she has always craved and she’s only doing the show to ‘boost her social media following’ (Pictured: Harriet Cowan)
Harriet (pictured) admitted in the trailer that she hadn’t watched Clarkson Farm’s before but she didn’t let that slow her down
Harriet is in a relationship with fellow farmer James, with the pair cosying up together for a slew of sweet social media snaps
Elina, a successful foot health specialist and keen horse rider, said she believed her step-sister would be trolled by online haters with her newfound fame, saying: ‘This is a big community here and a lot of the older men in farming don’t like the fact that young women farmers are doing their skill for the wrong reason.’
Harriet’s partner is fellow farmer James Booth, whose family are also located in the tight-knit farming neighbourhood in Belper, Derbyshire.
Elina added: ‘I’ve met James a few times, he’s alright, he’s lovely but not sure what he is doing with Harriet!’
A ‘teaser’ trailer has shown Jeremy running into several obstacles on the farm, with his new farmhand Harriet making a good impression as she was quick to help.
She wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty as she put in fences, loaded feed for the animals and even showed her welding skills on Diddly Squat Farm.
Harriet admitted in the clip that she hadn’t watched Clarkson Farm’s before but she didn’t let that slow her down.
Kaleb – who was on a nationwide tour – later returned to the farm and seemed to be getting along well with Harriet (pictured with Jeremy)
Clarkson’s Farm is set to return on May 23, with two additional episodes released a week later on May 30, followed by the final two on June 6
Jeremy was left in awe at her work, turning to the camera and gushing: ‘She’s brilliant.’
Kaleb – who was on a nationwide tour – later returned to the farm and seemed to be getting along well with his replacement.
Harriet revealed on social media that her mother wanted her to become a nurse but her farmer father wanted her to follow in his footsteps – so she opted to do both.
She has a healthy social media following, boasting 35,000 TikTok followers, while her Instagram bio encourages her fans to ‘come and watch the craziness’.
She also has a brand deal with Country Moos, a sock company dedicated to cow-print designs.
