After several successful seasons, Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond have announced their departure from The Grand Tour. In an interview with The Times of London, Clarkson revealed that the trio decided to quit the Amazon Prime Video show as they felt they were running out of steam. The presenters, all showing their age, found it increasingly challenging to come up with outlandish adventures for the show.
Clarkson, at the age of 63, expressed his thoughts, saying “I’ve driven cars higher than anyone else and further north than anyone else. We’ve done everything you can do with a car.” The presenters’ meetings on what to do next only resulted in frustration, as they realized they had exhausted all possibilities. The physical demands of The Grand Tour missions had also taken a toll on them, especially when Clarkson referred to himself as “unfit and fat and old.” The intensity of the show’s adventures was no longer feasible for three aging hosts.
When discussing the challenges faced by the presenters, Clarkson humorously compared himself to survival expert Bear Grylls, stating that while Grylls could find comfort in a hotel, there aren’t any hotels in the Sahara desert. The Grand Tour’s extreme missions demanded immense physical exertion, leaving the trio feeling drained and ready for a new venture.
An Open Road
Despite the departure of its original hosts, Amazon Studios sees potential for The Grand Tour to continue with a different set of presenters. Fozia Khan, Amazon Studios’ head of unscripted in the UK, stated that the show has come to a “natural end” but they are actively exploring ways for it to live on.
Clarkson’s Future Endeavors
Jeremy Clarkson will continue his partnership with Amazon as he hosts Clarkson’s Farm, which has quickly become the streaming platform’s highest-rated UK original. The farming series explores Clarkson’s endeavors in the agricultural industry. Additionally, Clarkson is set to return as the host of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? for ITV, demonstrating his versatility as a presenter.
Controversial Clause
During the interview, Clarkson’s controversial history was briefly addressed. The Times interviewer, Ed Potton, was instructed not to ask Clarkson about his reviled column in The Sun newspaper regarding Meghan Markle. In the retracted article, Clarkson made disrespectful comments about the Duchess of Sussex, provoking anger from Amazon. Despite the controversy surrounding him, Clarkson expressed his enjoyment of being controversial and expressed no sense of pressure to refrain from provocative statements.
As The Grand Tour comes to an end, it marks the end of an era for Clarkson, May, and Hammond. Their departure, driven by a combination of physical limitations and an exhausted well of ideas, paves the way for new adventures and fresh faces on Amazon Prime Video’s motoring platform. The question now remains: who will take the helm and reignite the flame of The Grand Tour?