By Fatma Younis
Richard Hammond has revealed he would have stayed on The Grand Tour had his co-stars Jeremy Clarkson and James May not decided to quit the show. The presenting trio, who worked together since launching Top Gear in 2002, left Prime Video's motoring series in 2024 after eight years.
Pact to leave together
Hammond, 56, said on The High Performance Podcast that he, Clarkson, 66, May, and long-time executive producer Andy Wilman had promised to leave together. The agreement meant the partnership would end even if one presenter wanted to continue. "If the others had said let's carry on, I'd have carried on. If they were ready to stop, we had to stop," Hammond said.
Clarkson cited age and interest
Clarkson previously stated he was "too old and fat to get into the cars that I like and not interested in driving those I don't." Hammond acknowledged the decision was collective: "We all four had to be there to do it, so I was ready to stop because the others were."
Series revived with new hosts
The Grand Tour concluded in 2024 with a final special titled One For The Road. Earlier this year, the series returned with three new presenters: TikTok train enthusiast Francis Bourgeois and car YouTubers James Engelsman and Thomas Holland. The revival has been well received and commissioned for a second series.
Original trio supportive of successors
Clarkson made a cameo appearance telling the new hosts to "have fun" and not "f*** it up." Bourgeois said the original presenters were "very supportive, very warm, very open in just saying, 'Go ahead – make it your own.'" May took a hands-off approach, with Holland describing his attitude as "Don't ask me – just do your thing."
