Motoring presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May are to leave Amazon’s The Grand Tour after a ‘final special’ airs next year.
The trio, who previously starred on the BBC’s Top Gear together for more than a decade, were snapped up by Amazon’s Prime streaming service in 2015 and have done five series’ for the firm, along with various special episodes.
The trio have just returned from Zimbabwe after completing their final special for Amazon. While away on filming, the trio posted after British Airways had cancelled their flight and they were ‘stranded’ on a ‘sunset safari with gin and tonics and meerkats’.
Jeremy Clarkson posted on X, formerly Twitter, thanking the Zimbabwean people. He said: “My profound thanks to the people and government of Zimbabwe for helping to make a very special Grand Tour special, very special. We absolutely adored everything about your country. Apart from the potholes maybe.”
In an Instagram post, Clarkson confirmed that The Grand Tour was “no more” after next year.
Amazon Prime said they had ‘no official comment’ on the presenters leaving, but added that ‘options are being explored’ for the show’s future.
An Amazon spokesperson told the PA news agency: “Jeremy, Richard and James have just returned from shooting in Zimbabwe, this final special with the trio is heading into the edit and will launch at a later date next year.
“The next The Grand Tour special set in Mauritania will launch in February 2024. Options are being explored for the future of a new The Grand Tour, it’s yet to go through greenlight.”
It follows the news last week that Top Gear was being rested for the “foreseeable future” by the BBC, following production being halted in December 2022 after former England cricketer Andrew Flintoff was involved in a serious accident during filming at the Top Gear test track in Dunsfold, Surrey.
Clarkson has, however, confirmed that Clarkson’s Farm – which follows the motoring star’s journey in running a farm – will continue, and has been commissioned for a fourth series, adding that there was “a LOT more” to come.
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