Just over a month ago, the new hosts for The Grand Tour were confirmed, with Francis Bourgeois, James Engelsman and Thomas Holland taking over where Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond left off.
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Now, Clarkson has revealed his thoughts on the new cast - and he has firmly given them his seal of approval.
While Clarkson was appearing on the podcast My Week in Cars, co-host Matt Prior said of The Grand Tour: "We’ve been doing this for three years, and so we find ourselves talking about car programs and the fact that it’s not here anymore..."
He was then cut off by Clarkson, who clarified: "It’s coming back."
Prior said, "Well, yes," before Clarkson cut in again to say: "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no - don’t be hasty. Do not be hasty."
James Engelsman, Thomas Holland and Francis Bourgeois in The Grand Tour. Prime Video
Clarkson explained that the show's producer Andy Wilman is still involved, and said that "I’ve seen the guys being chosen in the early days, and I’ve seen some of the stuff they’ve been doing. And it’s very, very good.
"It’s different because they’re three completely different people to us. But they’re bl**dy funny. You shall see. You shall see. But no, I'm pretty confident it will work. I mean, touch wood, from everybody's point of view. We all want it to work and I'd love the idea that the Grand Tour carries on."
The new trio will be hosting a six-part season, which will see them tackling some of motoring’s most pressing questions and going on global travels, including crossing the Angolan desert in tracks cars and exploring Malaysia’s vibrant car culture. They will then head to California to test the latest performance cars.
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Clarkson's views on the new trio perhaps shouldn't be a surprise - after all, he appeared in a video when the news was first announced, literally approving of the new presenter's CVs.
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
