Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May will make a return to their show The Grand Tour next month – two years after saying they wouldn’t make any new episodes.
The original presenting trio of the show are said to be making cameo appearances as Prime Video launches a new era for the long-running motoring series.
Jeremy, 66, alongside Richard Hammond, 56, and James May, 63, will appear in the rebooted seventh series to help introduce the programme’s new presenting line-up.
Prime Video has enlisted motoring YouTubers Thomas Holland and James Engelsman, together with railway enthusiast and social media personality Francis Bourgeois, to front the latest version of the show when it launches on September 4.
The move follows the departure of Jeremy, Richard and James after they concluded their run with the special One for the Road in 2024, ending more than two decades of working together across Top Gear and The Grand Tour.
Jeremy has remained in the spotlight through the continued success of Clarkson’s Farm, which has become one of Prime Video’s biggest factual entertainment hits, while Richard and James have continued with separate television and online projects.
Jeremy Clarkson , Richard Hammond and James May will make a return to their show The Grand Tour next month – two years after saying they wouldn’t make any new episodes
Prime Video has enlisted motoring YouTubers Thomas Holland and James Engelsman, together with railway enthusiast Francis Bourgeois, to front the latest version of the show
Speaking at the Buckingham Literary Festival, The Grand Tour co-creator and executive producer Andy Wilman was quoted by The Sun saying the original presenters were backing the new team.
He said: ‘We’ve got three guys coming soon with a new Grand Tour and we’ve got behind them. We’re really supporting them.’
Andy added: ‘Our guys are in the shows doing cameos, so we’re wishing them well because we do want to pass that baton on.’
Speaking to 3Bs Radio, Andy explained why the production team had opted for presenters who were already immersed in car culture rather than established television personalities.
He added: ‘When those three go away, you can’t parachute in three new, good presenters who are funny. That’s like describing the show over the phone to an alien – ‘You just need three funny blokes and they muck about’. It’s not going to work.’
The new presenting trio consists of Thomas, James and Francis, all of whom have built large online audiences through their enthusiasm for motoring and transport.
Andy’s comments echo views previously expressed by Jeremy about the future of the programme.
Discussing how the series should continue after his departure, Jeremy – who recently revealed his cancer battle – said: ‘There’s no point hiring somebody who ‘likes’ cars. Because that’s not enough.’
He added: ‘I would get three complete unknowns. Start small, like we did. They’ve got to be absolute petrolheads.’
Jeremy continued: ‘I’ve got to be able to show them a picture of a quarter of a door mirror from any car ever made, and they’ve got to know what it is.
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Can The Grand Tour succeed without Clarkson, Hammond, and May as the main stars?
Prime Video recently confirmed that the six-part series will return to the platform on September 4
It comes after Jeremy opened up about his prostate cancer battle earlier this year on Clarkson’s Farm
‘That would be my advice.’
The reboot marks the first full series of The Grand Tour without Jeremy, Richard and James as its main presenters.
The trio first became household names together on Top Gear, where their mix of ambitious road trips, studio features and challenges transformed the BBC programme into a global success before they reunited for The Grand Tour on Prime Video in 2016.
Unlike former Top Gear presenters Freddie Flintoff and Paddy McGuinness, who were already well-known television personalities before joining the BBC motoring show, Thomas, James and Francis are making the transition from digital platforms and enthusiast communities to front one of streaming television’s biggest automotive brands.
It comes after Jeremy opened up about his prostate cancer battle earlier this year.
The star is now in remission and recently said the health battle has altered his lifestyle and he now drives ‘much more slowly’.
Jeremy’s other alterations include going on more walks and eating vegetarian food because he wants to be able to see his grandchildren grow up.
Jeremy has two grandchildren through his daughter Emily and her husband Alex Andrew, Arlo, who is three, and Xanthe, 18 months.
The former Top Gear host secretly underwent HIFU (high-intensity focused ultrasound) to target the tumour before announcing his diagnosis.
It came just months after he suffered terrifying heart problems and Jeremy has admitted he has a newfound appreciation for life after his brush with death.
He told The Sunday Times newspaper: ‘I really like seeing my grandchildren. I want to watch them grow up. I drive much more slowly. I’m a bit of a dawdler. I go for walks a lot. I have vegetarian food.’
Jeremy went public with his health crisis during series five of Clarkson’s Farm and he’s admitted he only shared the details because his treatment meant he would have to miss a lot of filming.
At the end of the final episode, Jeremy was seen lying in a hospital bed after being rushed to hospital and he’s since revealed it came after he restarted blood-thinning medication for his heart problems.
He revealed he hadn’t consulted his doctors about starting the medication again and the decision resulted in an emergency dash to hospital.
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