The Grand Tour’s New Presenters: “I Hope We Prove the Critics Wrong”

The new presenters of The Grand Tour know they have inherited an almost impossible comparison. For more than two decades, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May defined the show as much as the cars did.

James Engelsman and Thomas Holland, the established duo behind the motoring YouTube channel Throttle House, have now joined Francis Bourgeois, a social media star better known for filming trains than driving supercars. Together, they are taking the wheel of the new series.

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They literally changed the car world.

Holland said the former presenters “literally changed the car world.” He also understands why longtime fans question whether the programme should continue with a different trio. “They’re completely justified to feel that, because they did the same thing that we did, which is grow up watching Clarkson, Hammond and May,” he said. “The show was a very important part of our lives as car enthusiasts.”

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They’re completely justified to feel that, because they did the same thing that we did, which is grow up watching Clarkson, Hammond and May.

Finding the right chemistry mattered as much as finding people who understood cars. Engelsman and Holland tested several candidates before Bourgeois stood out. “As soon as Francis showed up, we were like: ‘That guy’,” Holland said.

Holland said the three presenters clicked immediately once filming began. The route to the job itself was less direct. Engelsman and Holland initially thought they were taking part in a broader audition, but repeated invitations to writers’ rooms and requests for their views gradually revealed that producers were considering them seriously. Bourgeois said the uncertainty may have helped because he would “just fall apart and start crying” if he had learned immediately that he had won the role.

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The show was a very important part of our lives as car enthusiasts.

All three built their public profiles through social media, marking a clear generational change for the programme. Early reviews, however, have been mixed. The Independent gave the reboot three stars, calling it “all rather safe” and describing the presenters as “stilted.”

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As soon as Francis showed up, we were like: ‘That guy’.