Jeremy Clarkson has enjoyed a unique and varied career. Famed for presenting Top Gear, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and The Grand Tour, the 66-year-old remains an active columnist, and more recently, a farmer, after purchasing Diddly Squat Farm in the Cotswolds.

Currently in the thick of shooting season six of Clarkson's farm, Jeremy is busier than ever, and while he's found his calling at Diddly Squat Farm, the TV star had a surprising start in life. Writing in his Sunday Times column, Jeremy revealed that in his first-ever job, he worked as a travelling salesman for his parents' toy company. "In my first year on the job I sold absolutely nothing at all," he admitted.

"It turned out that I was a terrible salesman. I'd walk into a toyshop and ask the owner if he'd like to buy a stuffed dog or maybe a preposterous 3ft-tall felt Captain Beaky. He'd say 'No' and I'd say 'Ok' and that would be that."

According to Jeremy, one perk of the job was that he could use a company car, specifically a Volkswagen Scirocco which featured a fuel injection. Noting that he "loved that car," as well as having the "ability to move about and see things," Jeremy's love of travelling would eventually factor into his future jobs.

The son of Shirley and Eddie Clarkson, Jeremy's parents famously made their fortune after designing the first-ever prototype of the Paddington Bear stuffed toy in 1972. A story which made headlines, Paddington creator and author Michael Bond had almost taken legal action against the couple on copyright grounds.

After getting his solicitors involved, Shirley and Eddie were summoned to London for a meeting, and after meeting Michael in the lift, they became instant friends. "I got in the lift with Shirley and Eddie," the author recalled in 2014. "They were terribly nice and pretended it had all been a mistake — and we were friends by the time we got out of the lift. I gave them a licence."

Following their new arrangement with Michael, Shirley and Eddie continued to make Paddington Bears, and Jeremy was tasked with selling his parents' products on his travels. Prior to her passing, Jeremy's mother said: "I've got a Paddington bear on the dashboard of my car. I looked at it recently and thought if it hadn't been for the success of the toys, Jeremy wouldn't have had all the chances he's had in life."