James May reunites with Grand Tour co-star at Wiltshire pub and admits he hasn’t made a penny from it
JAMES May has reunited with one of his co-stars of the Grand Tour at his Oxfordshire pub.
He starred in the hit Amazon Prime car series alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond.
Jeremy, 64, has opened his own pub called The Farmer's Dog, near his 1,000-acre Oxfordshire farm site, known as Diddly Squat.
Viewers will see the struggles the former Top Gear presenter has had with his boozer on the forthcoming series of Clarkson's Farm.
However in 2020, James, 61, also embarked on his own venture as he became part owner of The Royal Oak pub in the village of Swallowcliffe in Wiltshire.
The former Top Gear star was keen to welcome his former colleague and friend Richard into his establishment.
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He showed Richard, 54, around the site and he went into detail about some of the challenges he has faced.
These included financial strains as he admitted that he has not made any money from the establishment.
"I’ve never taken any money out of this pub. All I’ve done is spend money here," he remarked.
He also explained that although he might be one of the owners, he receives barely any perks such as free drinks.
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James told his pal: "There’s no freebies. I pay."
The TV personality is also not completely happy with several features inside the expansive pub.
He showed Hammond around the dining room, drawing his attention to an imitation wood-burning stove.
It also contained a mock fire effect, which he admitted that he wants to change.
"We did not put that stupid fake fire in and I hate it. We should change it but I haven’t got around to it," he angrily remarked.
It also turns out that he does not have access to all of the restaurant and bar, as he admitted that he is "not normally allowed in the kitchen."
James May's career to date
TV presenter and journalist James May has enjoyed a long on-screen career, with a main focus on motoring. Here is a look at some of his biggest projects.
- Top Gear (1999): James was a briefly a host on the original 1977 to 2001 iteration of the popular motoring show. The likes of Angela Rippon, Andy Wilman, Noel Edmonds, Kate Humble and Jeremy Clarkson were also presenters at various points.
- Top Gear (Revived series, 2003-2015): After Jason Dawe departed following series one of the revival, James boarded the revived Top Gear in 2003. He starred alongside Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and The Stig until 2015, when the main trio left the programme.
- Oz and James's Big Wine Adventure (2006-2007): This show featured wine expert Oz Clarke attempting to educate James about wine while undertaking a road trip. The programme lasted two series. A sequel titled Oz and James Drink to Britain aired in 2009.
- James May's Toy Stories (2009 to 2014): This programme featured well-known toys from the past being brought into the modern era through a complex, large-scale project involving the nature of the toy. James created, co-wrote, presented and narrated the show.
- The Grand Tour (2016 to 2024): Conceived following James and his co-stars leaving Top Gear, The Grand Tour launched on Amazon Prime Video in 2016. The trio were joined by producer Andy Wilman, who also made the move.
- James May: Our Man in... (2020-present): A travel documentary series for Amazon Prime Video, which has seen James visit Japan, Italy and India so far.
- James May: Oh Cook! (2020 - present): As the title suggests, this is a cooking programme hosted by James and it is released via Amazon Prime Video. The programme features the presenter trying to cook a variety of different dishes, with each episode focusing on a cuisine.
As he showed his friend around, he confirmed that if he makes an appearance, he is usually "encouraged to leave" by the staff.
But James also admitted that he has a lot of respect for those that work in the hospitality industry.
In the YouTube video, he added: "If you’re actually going to run it (a pub) yourself it’s hard work.
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";It’s not particularly well paid, it’s not particularly healthy, it’s antisocial, there’s a risk of becoming fat and an alcoholic."
