Jeremy Clarkson has fired back at his long-time co-host James May after the latter claimed Clarkson would not be appearing in the forthcoming The Grand Tour reunion specials.
May, 62, recently told Al Arabiya News that the upcoming episodes, set to air on Amazon Prime Video later this year and in 2026, would not feature Clarkson, calling the specials “essentially a best-of compilation” hosted by himself and Richard Hammond. “Jeremy Clarkson wasn’t available for some reason,” he said, appearing unsure of the details. “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.”
However, Clarkson, 64, was having none of it. Taking to X (formerly Twitter) over the weekend, he quipped, “I fear the poor old dear has become senile. Because while he can’t remember me being there, I can.”
Fans were quick to join in on the banter. One user jested, “To be fair, May has been 85 years old for the last 40 years lol,” prompting Clarkson to respond with: “He was 85 when he was born.”
Despite the confusion, Prime Video confirmed that Clarkson will be part of the reunion content, which comprises four nostalgic episodes. The first special, The Not Very Grand Tour: The Power and the Glory, premieres on 18 April and sees Hammond and May delve into their fondest memories of the internal combustion engine. Highlights will include muscle cars in Detroit, a high-speed Bugatti city sprint, the notorious “hypercar holy trinity”, and even a tank race.
This particular episode is hosted solely by Hammond and May, leading to the initial confusion over Clarkson’s involvement. But the following three specials — The Grand-ish Tour: A Trip Down Memory Lane, A Bit Further Down Memory Lane, and Completely Lost Down Memory Lane — will see the full trio reunited.
These future episodes will revisit iconic Grand Tour adventures in places like California, Morocco, Scandinavia, Colorado, and Mongolia. According to Prime Video, viewers can expect the usual antics — including explosions, dodgy mechanics, and the gang reminding Clarkson of his “mechanical incompetence”.
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“They’ll celebrate things they built — like the self-assembly car that crossed Mongolia and Clarkson’s home-made SUV — and make a heartfelt farewell to an old friend,” a statement teased, though it remains unclear what or who that “friend” might be.
One fan questioned the motive behind these new releases following the two-hour finale set in Zimbabwe last September. “Didn’t y’all end that s**t? What was that emotional ‘final’ episode for?” the user asked on X.
Clarkson clarified, “To be clear, there are some ‘best ofs’ coming. Zimbabwe was the last one. I have too many cows now to go swanning off,” referencing his now-beloved Cotswold farm, Diddly Squat, which features prominently in Clarkson’s Farm, another popular Amazon Prime series.
While the future of new Grand Tour adventures appears firmly in the rearview mirror, fans can still look forward to these special retrospectives — packed with high-octane nostalgia, typical British humour, and the unmistakable chemistry of Clarkson, Hammond and May.
The Not Very Grand Tour: The Power and the Glory airs on 18 April on Prime Video.
