The Grand Tour Returns to Prime Video With New Hosts

Prime Video has tapped Francis Bourgeois, Thomas Holland, and James Engelsman to helm the revamped motoring series The Grand Tour, returning later this year. According to reporting from Variety, the six-episode installment arrives two years after original hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May concluded their run on the streaming platform in September 2024.

New Hosts Take the Wheel for Global Adventures

The revamped series pairs trainspotter-turned-petrolhead Francis Bourgeois with YouTube automotive creators Thomas Holland and James Engelsman, the minds behind the channel Throttle House. According to Studio Lambert production details, the upcoming episodes feature globe-spanning motoring challenges. The trio navigates the Angolan desert in track vehicles, immerses themselves in Malaysia’s automotive culture, and tests American performance cars in California.

The production aims to preserve the franchise’s DNA while introducing younger talent to the unscripted format. According to Prime Video, the show is the platform’s most-watched unscripted U.K. original series globally. Tara Erer, head of U.K. and Northern Europe originals at Prime Video, noted the scale of the replacement search in a statement provided to Variety.

Finding the right successors was no small feat – but we’ve absolutely struck gold. Following an extensive search, we are thrilled to hand over driving duties to Francis, Thomas, and James, three exceptional talents.

Tara Erer, Prime Video

Backgrounds of the New Presenting Trio

The incoming presenters bring distinct digital followings and industry experience to the series. According to Variety, Holland and Engelsman command a large audience through Throttle House, pulling in millions of annual viewers. Canada-based Holland works as an automotive journalist and amateur race car driver, while Engelsman’s enthusiast background includes owning a Toyota Century limousine built for Japanese royalty.

Francis Bourgeois built a social media following approaching six million fans primarily through trainspotting content. Yet, the British internet personality also possesses a background as a mechanical engineer who has worked professionally for Rolls-Royce. Original executive producer Andy Wilman emphasized that the new selection avoids copying their predecessors.

Passing the torch to Thomas, James, and Francis feels genuinely wonderful because, quite simply, they are getting it right. They bring not only expertise and enthusiasm, but more crucially, they completely avoid feeling like carbon copies of the previous trio.

Andy Wilman

Production Team and Global Launch Plans

Studio Lambert produces the series, with Phil Churchward, Tim Harcourt, Stephen Lambert, Alex Renton, and Nia Yemoh serving as executive producers alongside production executives Hilary Berkshire and Diana Focke. Tim Harcourt, chief creative officer at Studio Lambert, noted that the production maintains its core identity while traveling to locations ranging from Angola and Malaysia to California and Didcot Parkway, as reported by Variety.

The incoming hosts have acknowledged the daunting nature of stepping into the roles previously held by Clarkson, Hammond, and May. According to Variety, Bourgeois compared the casting to an athlete running in oversized footwear, while Holland offered a characteristically blunt assessment of taking the job.

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.’

Thomas Holland

The new six-episode series launches globally across more than 240 countries and territories on Prime Video later this year.