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The Grand Tour’s new ‘younger and cooler’ line-up ‘revealed’ including huge social media star – following the departures of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May

BBG News

It appears that the fresh line-up for The Grand Tour has allegedly been disclosed, after Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond decided to leave.

It’s reported that executives at Prime Video are bringing on board YouTube personalities Thomas Holland and James Engelsman, along with social media sensation Francis Bourgeois, to host their well-known auto program.

Thomas and James, known as car enthusiasts, run a popular YouTube channel called “Throttle House.” On this platform, they test drive and critique various automobiles, amassing an impressive following of over 3.2 million subscribers.

As your go-to lifestyle guide, let me tell you about myself – I’m Luke Magnus Nicolson, but many know me as Francis. Renowned for my passion for railway spotting, I have garnered a unique fanbase that includes the Prince and Princess of Wales, as well as music sensation Stormzy. It’s an honor to share this fascinating hobby with such esteemed company!

A source shared with The Sun that ‘Thomas and James possess automotive knowledge on par with Jeremy, Richard, and James, but they are younger, trendier, and highly adept at social media. Notably, Francis gained fame for his affinity towards trainspotting and will infuse humor into the program.’

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TopMob have contacted Prime Video for comment. 

Canadian biology graduate Thomas initially launched his YouTube channel in 2015 ‘out of boredom’.

Three years after that, James – a devoted fan – got in touch with him, expressing his desire to be involved in the show. They had previously crossed paths at a gathering for Miata car enthusiasts, where they initially made each other’s acquaintance.

Ever since his debut TikTok video in February 2021, Francis’s star has rapidly ascended on the social media scene.

Following his rise to prominence due to his unique and endearing train-watching video clips, Francis subsequently interviewed notable figures such as Louis Theroux, Craig David, Sheridan Smith, and Tom Daley.

Currently, he boasts a large fanbase numbering in the millions, as his TikTok account counts over 3.3 million followers, and his Instagram holds approximately 2.4 million users.

In a chat on This Morning, he mentioned that he was captivated by those massive machines during our conversation.

‘Ever since, I’ve had a passion for trains, cars, planes.’

2023 saw Francis welcoming the Royal couple, the Prince and Princess of Wales, along with their esteemed digital counterparts, the online royalties, for a side-splitting video encounter.

Jeremy, 64, Richard, 55, and James, 62, bowed out of The Grand Tour in September last year. 

The initial show chronicled the adventures of a three-person team as they traveled globally to encounter various automobile producers. It first aired in 2016, after they left Top Gear two years prior.

The departure of the three signified a deeply felt conclusion of a period in their lives, as they had been collaborating on Top Gear for over two decades prior.

After that, the three of them have appeared in Amazon Prime Video’s The Less Formal Grand Tour, which premiered its initial episode on April 18th this year.

While Jeremy returned to the world of motoring TV after filming an episode of Car SOS.

Jeremy made an appearance on the car program not long ago, approximately four months following the last episode of The Grand Tour, which aired in September.

While Richard and James looked back at their memories from their time at Top Gear, they made a return, after a decade, to the studio where they filmed their last show, an experience they described as challenging or difficult.

On Wednesday, a video was shared for James May’s YouTube show, Planet Gin. The pair chose to re-explore their old workplace for reasons that remain unclear.

James began: ‘Well that is the old Top Gear studio. And that is the old Top Gear green room.’

They strolled around the compound, eventually approaching an unused trailer. They swung the door open, remembering fondly their time filming there.

Richard remarked: “It has the same foul odor. It’s strange; it feels like just yesterday yet a century has passed.

Here’s where our team used to gather, brainstorm ideas, debate over scripts, and at times, have disagreements. It’s a strange sensation, one that I’m experiencing too. I found it quite peculiar being in this place. For years upon years, we would return here every week.

James: “The scent is nearly overwhelming, making me wonder if opening this door might transport us back to the year 2000, taking us back to whatever that time held?

‘I sort of want to find something that we left here.’

Richard joked: ‘What like? Hope, ambition, vigour?’

He added: ‘The last time I was here, I was leaving after the last studio record.

‘I was in the bronze Land Rover. And I sat up and thought, well, that was that.’

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2025-05-29 23:50

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