Former Top Gear presenter James May has addressed the prospect of working with Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond again. The trio are known for having hosted the show together prior to later reuniting for the Grand Tour.
James, 62, worked with Jeremy, 64, and Richard, 55, for two decades, including as the hosts of the BBC‘s Top Gear from 2003 until 2015. More recently, they hosted the Grand Tour for Prime Video together from 2016 until it ended last year, though it’s since been announced that four special episodes looking back over the show are now set to be released.
The prospect of them reuniting for more projects in the future has however been dismissed by James this week. He shared his thoughts on Monday morning whilst on ABC News in Australia, ahead of visiting the country later this year on his upcoming Explorers – The Age of Discovery tour.
News Breakfast host James Glenday said in the interview: “How did you feel when you wrapped everything up with Jeremy and Richard?” He added: “Because I think I’m right in saying your production company’s now all been dissolved and you’ve officially kind of drawn a line under things.”
Top Gear star James replied: “Yes we have disbanded and there isn’t going to be a reunion. So we’re not … y’know we’re not like Led Zeppelin or anything like that.” Rock band Led Zeppelin have reunited on several occasions over the years after initially disbanding in 1980. He added: “Well, in very many ways, we’re not like Led Zeppelin.”
And he continued: “Well, it’s … I mean, it was emotional, I suppose. I was in that job longer than I’ve been in any other job by a long, long way.” James went on to share in the interview that it was also “longer” than he spent at school.
The guest said: “So whether I like it or not those other two are a very significant part of my life so I suppose it was … it’s a cliché to say end of an era and all that stuff but it was.” He however said that it was “probably the right time to stop”.
James said: “I also think though it was probably time for us to stop because we always said we would land it … we would land it with dignity not fly it into the cliffs. That’s the way we used to talk about it. We have come close to flying it into the cliffs a few times so it was probably the right time to stop.”
He went on to discuss the future, suggesting that himself, Jeremy and Richard are “getting on a bit”. He proposed that a “younger generation” should find a “new way” of discussing motoring, as opposed to the trio’s potentially “dated” view.
He said on the show: “We’re getting on a bit. Our view of the subject is probably becoming a bit dated. It’s time for a younger generation to reevaluate it and think of a new way of talking about things like cars and transport generally.”
James then expressed hope that “somebody out there” will be able to do but admitted he wasn’t sure “exactly” how. He commented: “I don’t know how they’re going to do it exactly but I feel sure there must be somebody out there.”
His comments come following reports just days ago that content creator Francis Bourgeois, 24 – whose real name is Luke Nicolson – is being “eyed up” to host the Grand Tour. A source told the Sun: “Francis is a big noise online and Amazon producers are hoping to bring him into the mainstream. […] Francis is not just a social media sensation but trained as a mechanical engineer so knows his stuff.”
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