James May Reckons He And Clarkson Will Be "Too Old" To Make The Grand Tour In Five Years
Any Top Gear/Grand Tour fan must have had this thought in the back of their head at some point: how long can the trio realistically continue? Will Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May still be making car films in 10 years or more? Perhaps not, judging by recent comments from May.
Speaking to the Radio Times, the 53-year-old said: “We have to accept that fairly soon we will be too old for it. Richard Hammond is a reasonably fit bloke who looks after himself, me and Jeremy aren’t.”
He added: “Jeremy is particularly decrepit and I find growing within me…a much stronger, nesty sort of instinct. Within the next five years I don’t want to be fart-arsing around.”
Given the demands of filming around the world and the “fart-arsing around” May speaks of, you’d have to say fair enough to that. At 46 Richard Hammond is 10 years younger than the eldest of the trio - Clarkson - and as May alluded, not quite so unfit and “decrepit”.
So, if Clarkson and May did ‘retire’ in five year’s time, would that effectively end The Grand Tour? Could it still continue with Hammond and a pair of replacements for the other two? There is of course the possibility that the elder pair would continue to create studio-based segments, leaving Hammond and perhaps a couple others (Rory Reid and Chris Harris poached from Top Gear, perhaps?) to be sent out to do the more intensive stuff.
Or perhaps the duo will continue for many years more, rendering all that extreme speculation pointless. What do you think?
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
I know. I nominate AdnanEbrahim and AlexKersten as the replacements.
And then have the CT crew onboard.
Alex be like: “Wow, imagine how many lemons we could buy for 250 million!”
Then what will I watch?
goes and cries in corner
But Richard Hammond be 38! The same as last year and the year before.
…and 361 days.
Speaking of which, his birthday is next week, and then he’ll be 38.
Just as he was last year, and the year before.
Disklok is 20 years and still going strong, I nominate our whole office!
#cheekydisklok
…but Tiff Needle is older and stll a fine driver and car reviewer!
Yes, but he, to quote James, “looks after himself”. Jeremy has never, nor has James. they smoke and drink quite a lot and are unbelievably unfit. Tiff is fairly fit for his age, though 65 is not old at all for someone with good health and an active life etc.
I would say they might just squeeze another 3 year contract. Tiff will still be going when they stop, I would say.
Their plan before Jezzer got fired was to do one more 3-year contract at Top Gear and then retire gracefully. It seems to still be their plan, or at least May’s.
Jezza seems to not really like the retired life too much.
James May was already “too old” when he started doing Top Gear. And Jeremey was never old enough.
How this doesn’t have mor upvotes baffles me, here, have mine
Can I already apply somewhere?
Its actually hiper sad that theirs last episodes will not be Top Gear’s one
It will then be know as “The Grand Old Tour”