James May, 62, speaks out on working with Jeremy Clarkson again ahead of new Grand Tour specials
James May has set the record straight about working alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond once again as Amazon Prime prepare to release four new special episodes of the Grand Tour.
The first special launches on April 18, named The Not Very Grand Tour: The Power and the Glory, and will look back at the best moments of the series.
Hammond and May will celebrate the glory of the internal combustion engine via a look back at some of the more propulsive films from The Grand Tour.
The following three Grand-Ish Tour specials are set to be released later this year and in 2026.
The Grand-ish Tour: A Trip Down Memory Lane sees the trio celebrating epic driving moments in California, Morocco, Colorado and Scandinavia, wince at the misery brought on by water and mud, remind Jeremy of his mechanical incompetence, and enjoy an excellent montage of each other falling over.
The Grand-ish Tour: A Bit Further Down Memory Lane, celebrates things they built including John, the self-assembly car that crossed Mongolia, and Jeremy’s home-made SUV, The Excellent, while also recalling epic drag races, great pranks and wonky windscreen wipers.
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The Grand-ish Tour: Completely Lost Down Memory Lane features everything from French hatchback racing and drifting Italian classics to an RV demolition derby and some massive dogs. Plus, a series of explosions, a dangerous trip for Nigel Mansell, and a heartfelt farewell to an old friend.
Despite the excitement surrounding the new episode specials, May recently made sure that fans knew there was not a reunion on the cards.
Speaking to ABC News Breakfast, he explained: “I did spend 20 years of my life, a third of my existence working with those two idiots.
“Yes, we have disbanded. There isn’t going to be a reunion. We’re not like Led Zeppelin or anything like that. In many ways, we’re not like Led Zeppelin.”
He did admit that it was time for the show to finish, and added: “Well, it was emotional, I suppose; I’ve been in that job longer than I’ve been in any other job by a long, long way.
“Whether I like it or not those two are significant in my life, it is a cliche to say the end of an era but it was.
“I also think it was time to stop because we always said we would land it with dignity, not fly it into the cliffs. We have come close a few times so it was probably the right time to stop.
“We are getting on a bit and our view of the subject is becoming a bit dated, it is time for the younger generation to re-evaluate it and think of new ways to talk about things like cars and transport generally.
“I don’t know how exactly but there must be somebody out there.”
The trio had initially bid farewell to the world of The Grand Tour back in September following the release of their final feature-length special, One for the Road.
The boys gave us memories for a lifetime.
#TGTOneForTheRoad #TheGrandTour #JeremyClarkson #JamesMay #RichardHammond pic.twitter.com/n73jOAxCiQ
— The Grand Tour (@thegrandtour) January 15, 2025
Since the show ended, Clarkson has been busy filming the fourth and fifth seasons of Clarkson’s Farm.
May has returned to screens in Channel 5’s The Great Explorers, and Hammond recently launched a new series of his podcast alongside daughter Izzy.
