THE GRAND Tour star James May has revealed the real reason the show is coming to an end while opening up about his health ahead of the final ever episode of the motoring show next week.
James, 61, has admitted he “feels a bit frail” after all this time on the road.
It was revealed last year that The Grand Tour was coming to an end.
But before it does, James will reunite with his long-time friends and co-stars Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond for one final adventure.
The Grand Tour: One for the Road will premiere on Prime Video next Friday (September 13) and will see the trio test out some more of their dream classic cars during an epic road trip in Zimbabwe.
Ahead of the final episode airing, James opened up to GB News about his reasons for wanting to call time on the motoring show.
The Our Man In… star admitted his health played a factor as he recognised he’s not as young as he was when Top Gear started back in 2002.
And The Grand Tour is even more action packed and stunt heavy as the trio test out incredible cars racing each other on roads all around the world – and it has not been without injuries.
Admitting these stunts can take a bit of a toll, James said: “I won’t really miss the stress of it because I’m old now and a bit frail compared with back then [when we started].”
After 22-years of working with Jeremy and Richard, he explained that it felt like time to stop while they could still end the show on a high note.
“In the end, we got to the point where we said, ‘No, we must stop whilst we’re still vaguely ahead. We mustn’t keep going until we embarrass ourselves,’” he added.
“I’ve always said if it ends tomorrow, which it nearly did at one point, that I should just be grateful that I had the opportunity.
“I could always have gone back to some sort of proper life and done something responsible and sensible,” James concluded.
His tongue-in-cheek comments come after his co-star Jeremy said he felt “too fat and old” to carry on filming The Grand Tour.
Writing in The Sunday Times, Jeremy revealed the reason behind the hit show ultimately coming to an end.
He penned: “After 36 years of talking about cars on television, I’m packing it in, because I’m too old and fat to get into the cars that I like and not interested in driving those I don’t.”
How many seasons of The Grand Tour are there and where do they take place?
The Grand Tour launched on Prime Video in 2016 and quickly became one of the streamer’s biggest hits as hosts Jeremy, 63, James, 60, and Richard, 52, felt it was time they move on from Top Gear hit the road.
They have now brought five epic series of motoring adventures to the small screen, each taking place in different locations and even featuring celebrity guests.
Series 1
Series 2
Series 3
Series 4
Series 5
With that said, viewers can expect to see the dynamic trio give it their all in their final adventure.
“We really did save the best to last,” the Clarkson’s Farm star added in the trailer.
The synopsis for the finale gives fans a glimpse of what to expect.
“In their last ever Grand Tour adventure, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May ignore Mr Wilman’s instruction to drive EVs down a grey British motorway and go rogue, heading to Zimbabwe in three glorious cars they’ve always wanted to own.
“A 1982 Lancia Montecarlo, a 1974 Ford Capri 3-litre and a 1974 Triumph Stag. They embark on a classic road trip through some of the most stunning landscapes they’ve ever encountered, winding through mountains, going across dry planes, cruising down boulevards, and taking their chances crossing a crocodile-infested lake on three unusual car-carrying boats,” it teases.
One for the Road is set to be an emotional finale for the series as it officially concludes Jeremy, Richard and James’ Top Gear and Grand Tour era.
The Grand Tour: One for the Road will premiere on Prime Video on 13 September.
