Richard Hammond and James May make “traumatising” return to Top Gear studio

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Richard Hammond and James May have made a “traumatising” return to their old Top Gear studio.

10 years ago, they co-hosted the BBC show with Jeremy Clarkson, but departed afterwards. Since then, they’ve been hosting The Grand Tour on Amazon Prime Video.

In a recently posted video on their YouTube channel, Planet Gin (May), the two celebrities revisited the former, vacant filming location of the series, which they had previously used as their workspace.

At the beginning of the video, May points out, “That’s the old ‘Top Gear’ studio.” “And that,” he adds, “was the old ‘Top Gear’ green room, where we gathered, crafted our scripts, and sometimes even had disagreements.

They both shared a common sentiment about finding their current situation “unusual” regarding their return. Hammond confessed, “I’m really feeling out of place here… The last time I was here, it was when I was leaving after completing our studio album. I was in the classic Land Rover. And as I looked around, I thought to myself, well, that chapter has come to an end.

Before venturing into the old offices, May cautioned that it could potentially be quite distressing. Later on, the star humorously commented: “It still has the same unpleasant odor… It’s strange; it feels as if it were just yesterday, yet also a century ago.

He described the scent as “somewhat disturbing,” and mentioned, “I guess I’m trying to locate something that may have been left behind here.

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“What, Hope, ambition, youth, vigour, energy?” Hammond quipped.

Towards the conclusion of the visit, Hammond described it as a “deeply nostalgic encounter”, stating that it felt both recent, like just two weeks prior, and distant, as if it had been a lifetime.

In recent times, the television series Top Gear has been hosted by Paddy McGuinness, Freddie Flintoff, and Chris Harris. Nevertheless, the show took a break in 2023 as production halted following an accident that occurred during filming involving Freddie Flintoff.

Previously, Hammond, May, and Clarkson concluded their stint as hosts on The Grand Tour last year, passing the baton to fresh faces who will now lead the series.

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2025-03-13 16:19