The highly anticipated return of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May to The Grand Tour is set to shake things up for fans of the popular show. Reports suggest the former Top Gear trio is making a surprise comeback two years after their final adventure.
While details about Clarkson, Hammond, and May's return are still under wraps, it is believed that they will help introduce the viewers to the new Grand Tour crew. Earlier this year, Amazon announced a revamped version of the show, featuring trainspotter Francis Bourgeois and motoring YouTubers Thomas Holland and James Engelsman as the hosts.
"We've got three guys coming soon with a new Grand Tour, and we've got behind them," Andy Wilman, co-creator and executive producer of Clarkson's Farm, said in a recent statement. "We're really supporting them. Our guys are in the shows doing cameos, so we're wishing them well because we do want to pass that baton on."
The show's co-creator emphasized that The Grand Tour needs more than just entertaining hosts to succeed. "When those three go away, you can't parachute in three new, good presenters who are funny," Wilman said. "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."
Clarkson has already given the new trio his seal of approval, praising their unique chemistry and humor. "I've seen the guys being chosen in the early days, and I've seen some of the stuff they've been doing. And it's very, very good," he said. "It's different because they're three completely different people to us. But they're bloody funny. You shall see. You shall see."
The new hosts have acknowledged the challenge of taking over a beloved show, with Bourgeois joking that they have "big shoes to fill" and comparing it to Mo Farah running in oversized wellies. Engelsman, meanwhile, joked that he's worked with Holland for almost a decade without realizing that "the one ingredient that was missing was a Francis Bourgeois".
Wilman is confident that the new presenters will do a great job, citing their passion, knowledge, and chemistry. "They are doing it right," he said. "Not only do they have passion and knowledge, but more importantly, they are in no way cardboard cutouts of the old three. They have a delightful chemistry that's all of their own making."
The Grand Tour is set to return to Prime Video on September 4th.
