Amazon Prime will attempt to keep its hit motoring show The Grand Tour alive, even without its iconic trio of presenters.
Since first airing in 2016, The Grand Tour has been hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, following their highly publicised departure from BBC’s iconic Top Gear in 2015.
The Grand Tour has since been shown exclusively on Amazon Prime for three seasons in its traditional format, with a handful of standalone ‘specials’ afterwards – the final of which, titled ‘One for the Road’, will air next week.
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Though it was expected The Grand Tour would be switched off after the trio departed, Mr Hammond told UK newspaper Metro the show will go on without them.
“It will be carrying on. The Grand Tour continues. We’re stepping away as the hosts, but Prime will be continuing it,” Mr Hammond said.
“So I can’t wait to sit on my own chair and watch somebody else do it. That’s amazing.
“If you’re making any show that at its heart has a subject, whether it’s cooking, dancing or cars, the hosts, the primary makers of it, have to have that passion in their heart. And we always did.
“You never had to be a car geek to watch our show. Plenty of people who weren’t did watch it, but it was important that we were the car geeks.”
Amazon’s decision to continue with The Grand Tour without its founding presenters is similar to the approach the BBC took following the trio’s departure in 2015.
Top Gear was originally broadcast from 1977 until 2001 when it was axed, though Mr Clarkson and producer Andy Wilman revived it in 2002, and it soon became one of the most popular TV shows in the world.
When Mr Clarkson physically assaulted another producer in 2015, the BBC didn’t renew his contract, with Mr Hammond, Mr May and Mr Wilman following him.
Top Gear was brought back in 2016 with an entirely new presenter roster – including acclaimed motoring journalist Chris Harris, radio personality Chris Evans and US star Matt LeBlanc – though it never replicated the chemistry of its golden-era lineup.
While ratings improved from 2019 when Mr Harris was joined by cricket icon Freddie Flintoff and comedian Paddy McGuinness, the show was put on indefinite hiatus late last year after the former test cricketer suffered multiple facial injuries in a car crash during filming.
Mr Harris and Mr McGuinness have since gone on to host other shows, which will be the same pathway for The Grand Tour’s presenters following the end of their time together.
Clarkson’s Farm is confirmed to return for a fourth season, Mr May has starred in a number of Amazon’s travel programs, while Richard Hammond’s Workshop is available on overseas streaming service Discovery+.
The final episode of The Grand Tour, marketed as the final time the three presenters will work together, will launch on Amazon Prime from September 13.
MORE: The Grand Tour finale: ‘One for the Road’ release date revealed in new trailer
