Richard Hammond delivers his verdict on future of The Grand Tour ‘with new presenters’

Richard Hammond has addressed the future of The Grand Tour when he, Jeremy Clarkson and James May bid farewell, and prepare to welcome new presenters to the show.

In a very short while, it’ll be time for fans of the Prime Video motoring series to say goodbye to the trio, who’ve been on screen together for more than two decades.

After the Top Gear revival launched in 2002 on the BBC, the presenting team moved over to the streaming giant to launch The Grand Tour in 2016, with their tenure now coming to an end after eight years.

Ahead of the release date for the final episode, Richard spoke to about the long, emotional journey that he’s been on with his co-stars and with their diehard fans.

The 54-year-old also gave his view on the future of The Grand Tour, which is not ending completely – but will be continued by Prime Video with brand new hosts behind the wheel.

‘It will be carrying on. The Grand Tour continues. We’re stepping away as the hosts, but Prime will be continuing it. So I can’t wait to sit on my own chair and watch somebody else do it. That’s amazing,’ he said.

While he admitted that he isn’t privy to conversations about who the new presenters will be, he did give his advice on how they can ensure the series remains cherished by fans.

‘If you’re making any show that at its heart has a subject, whether it’s cooking, dancing or cars, the hosts, the primary makers of it, have to have that passion in their heart. And we always did,’ Richard outlined.

‘You never had to be a car geek to watch our show. Plenty of people who weren’t did watch it, but it was important that we were the car geeks.’

The TV personality continued, emphasising how much he, Jeremy and Richard ‘love the subject at the heart of the show’ – while it isn’t always necessary for viewers to have the same passion.

‘I watched that show where they make pots, The Great Pottery Throw Down, and I love it. I’ve no interest in pottery. I don’t know anything about it, but they clearly do, and that passion is compelling,’ he added.

As for whether the new version of The Grand Tour should retain the same format or evolve, Richard gave another diplomatic answer.

‘That’s for people who are making it to decide. We’ll always be on hand to talk if they want to talk to us, absolutely. But it’s not for us to shape it anymore. We’re stepping away. We made the show that we made,’ he stated.

‘It’s a bit like you’ve got your favourite old… whether it’s a pair of shoes or a jacket that once you’ve worn it, it only fits you. That show was what you get if you put us forward together and the brilliant team around us. But there’ll be a different team doing a different show, and they’ll devise the show that fits them.’

Looking ahead to saying goodbye to The Grand Tour when the trio’s last episode finally airs, Richard admitted that it hasn’t sunk in yet… and likely won’t for ‘six months’.

‘It’s a very honest and heartfelt goodbye and thank you from us. It really is, and it was built to be that. Andy Wilman, who is possibly the driving force, he’s done a masterful job of putting that together,’ Richard said of the final episode, which will see him, Jeremy, 64, and James, 61, head to Zimbabwe for a picturesque and exhilarating road trip.

‘We go out and we all plan it and work on it, and then we go out and we film it. But he’s the one who sits for hundreds of hours in the edit, and I think it’s got just the right tone.’

Teasing what viewers can expect from their last outing, he revealed: ‘Don’t expect big bangs and crashes. It’s actually quite simple. It’s quite a sincere thank you for making it possible for us to have such an incredible time over the last two decades together.

‘It really felt like a genuine thank you. It’s from the heart, and I hope people appreciate it for that. I think people will feel that it’s quite simple. I think it’s beautiful. It’s been well made. It’s been beautifully edited and magnificently shot. I hope people take it for what it is, which is just us quietly saying, thank you. Thank you for coming with us for the last two decades.’

The Grand Tour hasn’t been a show to shy away from controversy in the past – a fact that Richard tackled head-on in our conversation.

‘I think the controversy, it’s always been part of what we do. I’ve certainly never borne any malice towards anybody. If I’ve said things or been part of shows that have said things that have been interpreted as malicious, then I don’t think that was ever the intent,’ he told us.

‘That’s not to say it hasn’t caused offence. It’s the last thing I want to do is cause offence. We’ve sometimes got to be close to the line, but maybe sometimes that’s the only way you find out where the line is, when you’re looking over your shoulder at it and realise, “Oops, I’ve gone the wrong side of it. I better step back again.”’

So what’s next in store for Richard, as he prepares to conclude a huge chapter in his life?

Firstly, he hopes that people ‘continue to follow the show as it evolves into a new version’, even if he’s not going to be a part of the next adventure.

Nonetheless, loving cars is so ingrained in him that even without The Grand Tour, he’s – of course – still going to be hitting the road, tools in tow.

‘Just this afternoon in the car, [I was] planning a little journey for next year I’d quite like to do. I won’t be doing it for TV, but that might be quite nice, actually,’ he shared.

‘I enjoyed it, going to France last week and driving back in a tiny little car that won’t do more than 50 miles an hour. It broke down, and I had to carry out quite a big fix in the car park of the services, three hours in the sun with the spanners and the jack. It was great. I loved it. It’s what we do.’