The Grand Tour: New Hosts, Release Date & What We Know

The future of The Grand Tour has been secured with the announcement of its new presenting lineup. Today, Amazon Prime Video confirmed that Francis Bourgeois, James Engelsman, and Thomas Holland will take the reins from Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May, who concluded their run on the motoring program in 2024.

The transition marks the end of an era for the original trio, who hosted the show for eight years following their departure from the BBC’s Top Gear in 2016. Clarkson, Hammond, and May’s partnership spanned over two decades, but both May and Clarkson had previously expressed a sense of nearing the end of their run. May noted in 2023 that they were “getting a bit old” for the show, while Clarkson joked the following year about having “run out of things to do and places to go.”

The new presenters bring a diverse set of skills and a strong online presence to the series. Bourgeois, a mechanical engineer with experience at Rolls-Royce, gained prominence through his viral trainspotting videos. He also possesses the ability to identify vehicle makes solely by their engine sound. Engelsman and Holland form the duo behind Throttle House, a popular automotive YouTube channel boasting over three million followers and 75 million annual viewers. Holland, originally from Canada, studies biology and is an amateur race car driver and automotive journalist. Engelsman, a car enthusiast, owns a Toyota Century limousine originally built for Japanese royalty.

The upcoming sixth series of The Grand Tour will consist of six episodes and promises “adventure, horsepower and humour,” according to producers. The new presenters will embark on journeys across challenging terrains, including the Angolan desert, and explore diverse car cultures in Malaysia and California. They will also be testing the latest performance cars.

Bourgeois acknowledged the challenge of following the established presenters, stating, “The saying ‘big shoes to fill’ spring to mind. Well, in this case it’ll be like Mo Farah running in Size 14 wellies – it’ll be a little awkward at first, perhaps blister-inducing, but will overall be an interesting watch.” Holland echoed a similar sentiment, jokingly remarking, “When I first heard they were rebooting The Grand Tour and replacing Clarkson, Hammond and May, I said ‘only a moron would take that job.’” Engelsman added, “I’ve worked with Thomas for almost a decade making car films. Who knew that all this time, the one ingredient that was missing was a Francis Bourgeois? Let the car adventures commence.”

The changeover isn’t entirely a clean break. Former Top Gear producer Jim Wiseman revealed that Clarkson and May will appear in video segments within the new series, creating a handover element. He described the interaction between the outgoing and incoming presenters as “hilarious.” Clarkson himself participated in a social media campaign, sharing a video of him “reviewing” CVs and ultimately selecting Bourgeois, Holland, and Engelsman.

Wiseman expressed confidence in the new lineup, noting that Bourgeois was a “surprise package” and praising the specific choices of cars for the challenges. He observed a significant improvement in the new presenters’ performance throughout the series’ production, stating, “They’re very good…the difference between the start and the end of the series is great.”

The series is produced by Flat Four Films Ltd, with Andy Wilman serving as executive producer. The show originally began with W. Chump & Sons Ltd in 2016, transitioning through Expectation Entertainment (2019-2023) before arriving at its current production company. The Grand Tour premiered on Amazon Prime Video on November 18, 2016, and the seventh season is slated for release later in 2026.

As of today, The Grand Tour’s YouTube channel has 2.66 million subscribers and has garnered 1.2 billion views.