END OF THE ROAD
The Grand Tour’s boss reveals what’s it’s really like to work with Jeremy Clarkson ahead of final ever episode
Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond are putting the brakes on their 22-year working relationship
THE Grand Tour’s boss has revealed what’s it’s really like to work with Jeremy Clarkson ahead of the final ever episode.
The popular Prime Video show will air its finale on September 13, after a run of 46 episodes, having first launched in 2016.
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Titled "One for the Road", the epic episode will bring a close to the 22-year on-screen collaboration of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May.
Now their long-time collaborator and producer Andy Wilman has paid tribute to the personable trio.
He describes Jeremy, 64, as the “driver” and the one who has led on the direction their shows would take.
“You cannot have a democracy, and he is naturally the leader, the tip of that triangle,” he said.
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He equally had praise for James, 61, who he describes as most like someone who has taken a step back and is watching rather than taking part.
Andy said: “He’s the closest thing to a viewer going, ‘What are they doing?’ and he goes off and does his own thing a fair bit too.”
Richard, 54, is the natural comedian of the three, with Andy likening him to “Norman Wisdom or Buster Keaton”.
Together, the three have worked well because of their different personalities.
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Andy continued: “They’ve become like musicians in a rock band: they’ve got all their issues, all their friendship points, and all their niggles, but they’ve always driven their own show.”
A trailer for the final episode sees the three adventuring through the plains of Zimbabwe against the classic strains of He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother, by The Hollies.
22 years of the TV trio - Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May
In one emotional moment, Jeremy smoothly moves the car he is driving into a faster gear before saying: “So for the last time, here we go.”
As The Grand Tour reaches its end, Jeremy revealed he was "surprisingly unemotional" as he can reunite with his co-stars "any time" he wants to.
There’s also the added bonus of working with most of the production crew on his other project, Clarkson’s Farm.
The Grand Tour episode guide
How many seasons of The Grand Tour are there and where do they take place?
The Grand Tour launched on Prime Video in 2016 and quickly became one of the streamer’s biggest hits as hosts Jeremy, 63, James, 60, and Richard, 52, felt it was time they move on from Top Gear hit the road.
They have now brought five epic series of motoring adventures to the small screen, each taking place in different locations and even featuring celebrity guests.
Series 1
- Series 1 aired from 2016 to 2017 and took the presenters to a number of foreign locales, including Jordan, Morocco and Italy.
- The series is comprised of 13 episodes, with episodes 7 and 8 making up a two-part special set in Namibia, where the trio embarked on an epic beach buggy challenge.
Series 2
- Jeremy, Richard and James returned for more motoring actor in series 2, and drove their way across Europe as they tested out some of their dream vehicles like the Bugatti Chiron and the McLaren 720S.
- This series, which aired from 2017 to 2018, is made up of 11 episodes. It features regular 'studio segments' filmed in the team's permanent tent in the Cotswolds, and had regular participation from celebrities with two guests going head-to-head on timed laps every episode.
Series 3
- In 2019, the presenting trio crossed continents - from North America, to South America, to Europe and Asia - putting both new vehicles and classic sports cars through their paces.
- This series was the last to feature the regular studio segments, car reviews and timed laps.
- To mark the end of this era the final episode's last segment includes a montage of scenes featuring the presenters over the course of their career as a trio, not only from this programme, but also from their time hosting Top Gear.
Series 4
- This series marked a complete change in format for The Grand Tour as it consists entirely for feature-length specials which aired between 2019 and 2021.
- The first two chronicle Jeremy, Richard and James' epic adventures across Asia and Africa, while the third and fourth episodes saw them put foreign cars to the test on their home turf. And fitting American vehicles through Scottish roads is no easy feat.
Series 5
- Following the same format as series 4, the fifth and final series of The Grand Tour also consists of four feature-length specials.
- The first of these hits screens in 2022 and follows the trio as they travelled through Norway, Sweden and Finland in three Rally-Inspired Sports Saloons.
- The second episode was another Euro adventure while the third took the presenters back to Africa.
- The fourth instalment of the series and final ever episode of The Grand Tour, titled One for the Road, premieres on September 13, 2024. It promises to be an emotional one as the trio set out on one epic final adventure in Zimbabwe and reflect on their 22-year-long working relationship and friendship.
The star added: "Where I would have been emotional was saying goodbye to the crew because most of them started with us.
"There's a photograph taken on Kubu Island of Russ Edwards and Casper Leaver (Camera Operator) and Andy Wilman, who were there on the original crew, and they're still with us. You can’t say that about any other show.
“We are a dysfunctional family, and I’d miss that, except for one tiny detail.
"There I was with all these guys that I've known and worked with for twenty-four years and I said, “I’ll see you all on Monday morning” because they all work on Clarkson’s Farm.
I’m too old and fat to get into the cars that I like and not interested in driving those I don’t."
Jeremy Clarkson
"I'm 100 per cent convinced I would have been a lot more emotional without the farm show."
The Grand Tour began after Jeremy, Richard and James all left BBC's Top Gear in 2015.
It was reported last year that , ending the show after eight years.
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Writing in Jeremy penned: "After 36 years of talking about cars on television, I’m packing it in, because I’m too old and fat to get into the cars that I like and not interested in driving those I don’t."
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The final episode of The Grand Tour will begin streaming on September 13. All previous episodes are available to stream on Prime Video.
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