The idea of being someone who welled up over three middle-aged men driving off into the sunset after a nearly two-decade career presenting car shows was one that seemed pretty alien to me in 2024.
My first car was my mum’s Ford Fiesta with almost six figures on the dial, ‘power steering’ made no sense to me (still doesn’t), and ‘horsepower’ seemed more like a term suitable for a uni student’s recreational drug use.
The trio headed to Zimbabwe and Botswana for the final Grand Tour special in 2024
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AMAZONIn case I didn’t make it clear enough, I can confirm I am not a ‘petrolhead’.
Nevertheless, watching Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May revisit the sun-soaked spot in Africa where their joint TV venture began left me with an unexpected lump in my throat.
And in that moment, it became clearer than ever why the trio had been three of Britain’s most popular presenters this side of the millennium.
Together, they transcended genres. Yes, they drove cars. Yes, they spoke about cars. And yes, they blew up cars. But they made Top Gear and, later, The Grand Tour so much more than just their vehicles.
I would chuckle along as Hammond and Clarkson berated May for his fondness of the latest Monda or Toyzuki model X-3758 (did I get that right?), completely oblivious to exactly why it deserved such mockery.
And similarly, I’d be gripped to see which of the three would emerge victorious in rubber-burning races across sub-Saharan Africa, or who’d escape the wrath of local law enforcement with their hijinks in one of The Stans.
Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond left the show in 2024
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They created, nurtured, and propelled motoring television into the mainstream, making both Top Gear and The Grand Tour prized assets for the BBC and Amazon, respectively.
But in 2024, it was time to bid farewell. It was time for Clarkson to focus on his farm, May on his pub, and Hammond on his workshop.
The Grand Tour, however, would live on, with Amazon seemingly unable to let go of one of its most popular franchises.
And luckily for Bezos and co, it appears Clarkson, Hammond, and May aren’t too precious about handing the baton over to three new faces in the hopes they can provide the expertise, laughs, and – most importantly – chemistry that made them TV stalwarts for a generation.
Clarkson even lent a helping hand to announce their successors this week.
In a social media video, the farmer unveiled Francis Bourgeois, James Engelsman, and Thomas Holland as the three men tasked with keeping the show going.
Clarkson’s endorsement will inevitably provide a glimmer of hope that Amazon will avoid the catastrophic mess the BBC made for itself trying to fill the trio’s shoes on Top Gear.
I mean, who would have thought the bloke from Big Breakfast and Joey from Friends would fail to win over car show audiences?
Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc took over Top Gear after Clarkson and co’s exits
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And it’s not just Clarkson who is backing the new trio for success. Longtime collaborator and producer Andy Wilman is similarly optimistic about the show’s future with Holland, Engelsmen, and Bourgeois at the helm.
“We are properly happy to hand over the baton to Thomas, James, and Francis, because quite simply – they are doing it right,” Wilman said.
“Not only do they have passion and knowledge, but more importantly, they are in no way cardboard cutouts of the old three. They have a delightful chemistry that’s all of their own making.”
Engelsman and Holland have already built quite a reputation for themselves in the motoring world. Their YouTube channel Throttle House boasts 3m+ subscribers, and their knowledge and expertise aren’t up for debate.
Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond are now pursuing solo ventures
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Bourgeois seems the rogue pick of the three. His trainspotting videos have garnered millions of views across social media, but it’s debatable whether many TikTokers who watched his guffawing through a fisheye lens stopped and thought, “That’s the next Jeremy Clarkson.”
But was there somebody better suited for the role? I fear there may just have been.
And given Amazon’s appointments of Holland, Engelsmen, and Bourgeois are clear signals of intent that it’s hoping to bring in a younger and more online-savvy audience, there’s one person who missed out for whom motoring TV is literally in their blood.
That person is Izzy Hammond, Richard Hammond’s daughter.
Izzy Hammond has become one of motoring entertainment’s most exciting up-and-coming stars
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Before some of you blow a gasket – see, I can do car speak – screaming “nepotism” at your phone screens, let me assure you, Izzy Hammond is far from your typical nepo baby.
This isn’t another case akin to Brooklyn Beckham being given a book deal for a collection of blurry elephant photos, or Darren Ferguson starting in Sir Alex’s Manchester United midfield.
Izzy has proven herself to be not just more than competent in front of the camera, but she possesses a knowledge and enthusiasm for cars that is sorely missed in motoring TV, a genre in which an absence of Gen Z female presenters is glaring.
When it comes to the motoring world, Izzy has proved a popular presenter on the YouTube channel, DriveTribe. The company was founded by her father and his presenting partners and, just like Throttle House, boasts millions of subscribers.
Francis Bourgeois seems like a lovely chap, but will he be able to keep The Grand Tour magic alive?
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Videos featuring Izzy regularly rake in millions of views. An off-roading lesson with her dad smashed through the five-million-view mark, while a trip to May’s pub to critique what it had to offer has been watched more than two million times.
Even without her dad or his colleagues by her side, Izzy more than holds her own as the leading star. Videos of her purchasing an old Range Rover, or learning the ropes of farming with Harriet Cowan, have all raked in around a million views.
But her love for cars doesn’t end there. Moving out of her father’s shadow, Izzy fronts her own motoring podcast, Quadrant.
According to the pod’s YouTube channel, Izzy and her co-host Max Fewtrell “chat with drivers and motorsport talent about their passions, side hustles, hobbies, and what life looks like beyond the track”.
And her podcast experience doesn’t end there, thanks to Who We Are Now, which is now heading into its fourth season.
Who We Are Now features the Hammond father-daughter duo interviewing several big-name stars about their lives. The vulnerability of their guests and the subject matter requires a mature and understanding approach that Izzy, 24, exhibits as if she were beyond her years.
Now, I don’t want to be disparaging on the new trio before they’ve even gotten behind a wheel, but having Izzy as one-third of the new line-up seems to be an open goal Amazon has missed.
What better way to reinvent the show for a new generation of viewers than literally having the next generation of one of the show’s beloved stars take it on?
James Engelsman and Thomas Holland are the faces of popular motoring YouTube channel, Throttle House
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Izzy would’ve brought a familiarity to viewers thanks to her work with her father, and she would undoubtedly be calm and collected about stepping into his shoes.
Just listen to one episode of Who We Are Now; she is unfazed by his star power.
The Throttle House guys, I completely understand. Their CV is irrefutable. However, I can’t help but think Izzy would’ve been a much better fit than Bourgeois.
While he has a mechanical engineering degree, a man whose motoring presenting credentials are limited to him showing off his pink Honda Jazz on TikTok pales in comparison with Izzy.
Richard Hammond and his daughter Izzy
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For now, we’ll have to wait until the new six-part series debuts later this year.
But while replicating the magic of Hammond, May, and Clarkson was never going to be an easy task, it feels like Amazon may have just made the job a whole lot harder.
