Former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson fears 'dementia risk'

In a rather concerning development for Top Gear fans around the world, the TV show's former host Jeremy Clarkson has revealed that he risks developing dementia amid worsening hearing loss.

According to Clarkson, he has been suffering from a deteriorating sense of hearing for the past 12 years, adding that he also struggles to maintain balance, Hello Magazine reported, quoting his column for The Times.

The 63-year-old further revealed that after his latest health checkup, he was warned that his recent hearing loss would double the probability of him developing dementia.

As per the UK's National Health Service (NHS), the probability of a person developing dementia is "tripled" in case of moderate hearing loss — the risk is increased five times in cases of severe hearing loss that is left untreated.

The veteran presenter also highlighted that the risk of dementia increases with hearing loss as the brain has to work harder to make sense of the sounds it hears.

"My brain is having to use a huge amount of computing power trying to fill in the bits of speech it hasn’t been able to hear," the presenter said further revealing that would be using hearing aids.

Clarkson's remarks come as the veteran host, acknowledging his deteriorating health, hired a professional in May 2022 to help him improve his physical health.