Jeremy Clarkson Delivers Characteristically Blunt Verdict on New Grand Tour Hosts
Jeremy Clarkson has offered his typically unfiltered assessment of the new presenters taking over Prime Video's The Grand Tour, following confirmation that a trio of social media stars will helm the popular motoring series. The show, which airs on Amazon's streaming platform, has undergone a significant presenter shake-up after Clarkson and his original co-hosts Richard Hammond and James May departed last year.
The Social Media Successors Take the Wheel
The new hosting lineup consists of YouTubers Thomas Holland and James Engelsman, alongside TikTok sensation Francis Bourgeois. An official first-look image released on Thursday showed the three leaning against a brightly painted car, confirming their involvement in the six-part series that will see them tackle challenging terrains worldwide in various vehicles.
Clarkson, 65, had previously admitted that he and his fellow presenters were running low on ideas and becoming "unfit, fat and old," prompting their departure from the show they had fronted since 2016 following their earlier exit from Top Gear.
Clarkson's Mock CV Review Session
The official Grand Tour social media accounts posted a video featuring Clarkson pretending to review CVs from prospective presenters. In the clip, captioned "Jeremy has a message...," he delivers several characteristically brutal assessments.
Looking at a CV purportedly from former co-star James May, Clarkson remarks: "Hello, my name is James May... God, he sounds dull!" When examining Thomas Holland's application, he reads: "Once held a 1300 metre drift. Zero evidence has been uncovered. Frequently presents an opinion as if it is fact and then if challenged will change the subject. Yes, funny man."
Regarding Francis Bourgeois, Clarkson offers: "I know this one, he's the train man from the internet! He's got a cycling proficiency test, 2020 vision, but claims he can see behind him. Yes..."
Richard Hammond receives perhaps the most brutal treatment, with Clarkson simply stating "Blah. I'm 5ft4" before discarding the paper.
The New Hosts' Impressive Credentials
The incoming presenters bring substantial social media followings and established motoring credentials to the iconic series. Thomas Holland and James Engelsman host their own YouTube show Throttle House, where they test and review cars for their impressive 3.2 million subscribers.
Canadian biology graduate Holland launched his channel in 2015 "out of boredom," with Engelsman joining three years later after reaching out as a fan.
Francis Bourgeois, whose real name is Luke Magnus Nicolson, has achieved social media superstardom through his eccentric and loveable trainspotting videos. With over 6 million followers across his platforms, he counts the Prince and Princess of Wales and Stormzy among his fans.
Since his first TikTok clip in February 2021, Bourgeois has interviewed numerous celebrities including Louis Theroux, Craig David, Sheridan Smith and Tom Daley. In 2023, he even collaborated with the Prince and Princess of Wales in a viral video.
An Emotional End of an Era
The original Grand Tour series followed Clarkson, Hammond and May on worldwide missions to meet different car manufacturers, continuing the partnership that began on Top Gear more than two decades earlier. Their September 2024 departure marked what many fans considered an emotional end of an era.
Since leaving the main series, the trio have featured in Amazon Prime Video's The Not Very Grand Tour, which aired its first episode in April this year. Clarkson has also returned to motoring television with an appearance on Car SOS.
Meanwhile, Hammond and May recently revisited their old Top Gear studio in an emotional YouTube video for May's Planet Gin series. Walking through the abandoned complex, Hammond remarked: "It smells the same, terrible. It's weird it seems like only yesterday but also 100 years ago."
May added: "The smell of it is almost traumatising... do you think if I opened this door we'd slip through a portal and be back in 2000 and whatever it was?"
The Grand Tour with its new social media star hosts is scheduled to return to Prime Video later this year, marking a new chapter for the beloved motoring series while its original presenters continue to reflect on their influential tenure.
