A New Era Begins: The Grand Tour Reveals Replacement Hosts — But Clarkson, Hammond And May Aren’t Gone Just Yet
After 22 years, three men, and one of the most beloved motoring shows in television history, The Grand Tour is officially entering a new chapter. Amazon has confirmed the lineup taking over hosting duties from Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May: content creator and self-described “trainspotter” Francis Bourgeois, alongside YouTubers Thomas Holland and James Engelsman.
For fans who grew up watching Clarkson, Hammond and May trade insults across deserts, mountain ranges and racetracks for two decades, the news marks the end of an era that many assumed was already over when the trio’s swansong special wrapped filming in Zimbabwe. But rather than closing the book entirely, Amazon appears to be handing the pen to a new generation — one shaped as much by social media as by traditional broadcasting.
Francis Bourgeois built his following through infectious, wide-eyed enthusiasm for trains, a tone that’s arguably closer to Hammond’s boyish excitement than Clarkson’s dry sarcasm. Thomas Holland and James Engelsman bring their own online followings into the mix, suggesting Amazon is betting on personalities who already know how to build an audience outside of traditional TV, rather than importing established broadcasters.
Perhaps the most reassuring detail for longtime fans: this isn’t a full handover with no goodbye. Both Clarkson and May are set to make cameo appearances in the new series, offering at least a partial bridge between the show’s founding trio and its new custodians. It’s a move that echoes the trio’s own send-off, in which they insisted their 22-year partnership wasn’t ending in acrimony, but simply reaching a natural conclusion on their own terms.
The timing adds extra weight to the announcement. It comes just as James May confirmed encouraging health news about Jeremy Clarkson following his cancer diagnosis, meaning the franchise’s future and its founders’ personal lives are, for once, moving in a similarly hopeful direction.
Whether the new hosts can capture even a fraction of the chemistry that made Clarkson, Hammond and May household names remains to be seen. But if nothing else, Amazon has made clear that The Grand Tour, in some form, isn’t going anywhere.
