Why did Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May leave The Grand Tour?
THE Grand Tour has been thrilling fans, since the nation’s favourite petrolheads burst onto Prime Video.
Hosted by former Top Gear stars Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, the popular show is now coming to an end.
What is The Grand Tour and when did it start?
The Grand Tour launched on Prime Video in 2016.
Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May created the series after previously presenting Top Gear as a trio up to 2015 when they left the BBC.
At its peak the show had three million YouTube subscribers, a magazine with 1.7 million readers, and in 2012 it entered the Guinness Book of World Records in 2012 as the world’s most watched factual TV show.
But following a very public row, the boys packed Top Gear in.
However, much to the delight of their fans, they launched The Grand Tour after striking a lucrative deal with Prime Video and made another 44 shows, the latest of which aired in June 2023.
Why did Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May leave The Grand Tour?
On November 29, 2023, The Sun exclusively revealed how The Grand Tour was coming to an end, as hosts Jeremy, James, and Richard felt it was time that it came to an end.
A TV insider said: “It’s a surprising decision and everyone realises it very much marks the end of an era for the three presenters.
“The Grand Tour is one of Prime Video’s most watched shows and Jeremy, James and Richard have a devoted following.
“But the guys have made no bones about the fact they’re all advancing in years and they have lots of other projects to pursue.
“They just felt like the time was right and wanted to go out on a high when the show remained popular.”
It looks like the boys will be keeping busy after leaving the show.
Jeremy still has a third season of Clarkson’s Farm dropping on Amazon Video, and James also has another one of his Our Man In… travelogues, which started in 2020, dropping on the streamer.
Meanwhile, the news that the Grand Tour is coming to an end comes just a week after the BBC confirmed it was axing Top Gear.
Will The Grand Tour continue?
Amazon is yet to reveal whether the show will go on after the famous trio leave.
However, the streamer will consider potentially continuing the show further down the line with new hosts – an idea which the departing hosts are reportedly happy with.
Meanwhile, fans need not worry just yet, as there are still two more helpings of The Grand Tour to drop on Prime Video in the future.
Both will air in 2024 and will see Jeremy, Richard and James travel to Mauritania and Zimbabwe.