JEREMY Clarkson branded Grand Tour co-star James May ‘senile’ as he shared a major update on new episodes.
A brand new special entitled The Not Very Grand Tour will be launching on the streaming service next month.
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Speaking in a recent chat with Al Arabiya News presenter Tom Burges Watson, James revealed Jeremy’s apparent absence from the special.
The presenter, 62, shared: “Well, I’m afraid it’s not a reunion.
“The Not Very Grand Tour is essentially a best-of compilation hosted from the studio by me and Richard Hammond.
“Jeremy Clarkson wasn’t available for some reason, but we’re all in the clips.
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“It’s all things you’ve seen before, but chopped up in a different way.
“We recorded it a while back. I can’t remember why he couldn’t be there. He was probably busy.”
Taking to X, Clarkson’s Farm star Jeremy took a playful jab as he refuted James’ claims.
He wrote: “I fear the poor old dear has become senile. Because while he can’t remember me being there, I can.”
A viewer commented: “It wouldn’t be the Grand Tour without the legendary 3.”
Another penned: “Happy to see absolutely NOTHING has changed.”
A third wrote: “Perhaps Hammond pranked May by telling him that Jeremy couldn’t make it to filming, so a really good impersonator was hired instead.”
While a fourth quipped: “To be fair, May has been 85 years old for the last 40 years lol.”
Replying to this social media user, Jeremy joked back: “He was 85 when he was born.”
The pair, along with Richard Hammond, called time on their hit Prime Video series last year, with their final special – One For The Road – airing in September.
The streaming giant has confirmed that a further THREE specials are all in the works under the series name The Grand Tour-ish, but fans will have to wait much longer for them.
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.
Just one will be released on Friday, April 18 followed by the other three later releasing across the rest of the year and into 2026.
Meanwhile, The Not Very Grand Tour has been teased as a comedic documentary style series.
It will see the trio taking a humorous look back at some of their classic moments on The Grand Tour.
The programme has been created by director Phil Churchward, who worked on both Top Gear and The Grand Tour.
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